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RICHARD L. MINNS
“ATLAS
SHRUGGED III: I Own The World!” “THE PHILOSOPHY OF AYN RAND”
ON OBJECTIVISM: ON INDIVIDUALITY:
ON ART:
ON SCULPTURE:
ARTIST’S INTERPRETATION “’Objectivism’, the philosophy created by the Russian-American Philosopher / Novelist Ayn Rand, had a profound influence on my early life and the lives of my colleagues. Then everything was possible in our young eyes, and we were ready to conquer the world. Rand expressed her philosophical ideas in her classic writings and novels, including ‘The Fountainhead’ (Remember the movie starring Gary Cooper), ’Atlas Shrugged’, ‘The Virtue of Selfishness’, ‘Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal’. Steve Jobs, for example, could be Ayn Rand’s perfect archetype.” “My Atlas is not the usual Herculean-bearded Titan hulk, but a tall, slim, muscular, clean-shaven athlete. (My interpretation of Rand’s Fountainhead Hero Howard Roark.) Atlas (Roark) has broken free of the World of Collectivism and is running forward to create his own individual destiny. The World is behind him, suspended in space, defying gravity, as Atlas now controls the World, pulling it behind him.” “Atlas is in bronze with a rich dark brown Classic patination, standing on a polished stainless steel Base, which reflects a second mirror image of the sculpture. The World is a polished stainless steel ball, reflecting everything in the room.” “I hope you enjoy it half as much as I enjoyed creating it.” Richard Minns
DESCRIPTION OF SCULPTURE: First, in “ATLAS SHRUGGED I”: “ESCAPE TO FREEDOM”, Atlas has had enough of the suffocating world of increasing Collectivism. He smashes his way out of this decadent world, escaping to freedom so he can create a new world of individualism. Second, in “ATLAS SHRUGGED II: GENESIS – A NEW GOLDEN WORLD OF INDIVIDUALISM”, Atlas has created his own world, conceived in freedom of individual rights and embodied in laissez faire Capitalism. Unlike the previous suffocating world of Collectivism, this new golden world rises in the air on its own power, no longer requiring Atlas to struggle with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Now, in “ATLAS SHRUGGED III: I OWN THE WORLD”, the new world dedicated to individual rights soars in the air on its own force and power while the triumphant Atlas runs pulling the world behind him as he races to achieve his destiny. Atlas has won his battle. Now all he needs is a strong female partner of equal strength and resolve to share his destiny and to make his life complete. This will happen in Richard’s final sculpture ATLAS SHRUGGED IV: “TOGETHER, WE ARE INDOMITABLE.” In order to understand this sculpture, it is best to understand the Artist and his motivation to create the sculpture. Ayn Rand, the Russian-American Writer / Philosopher who introduced the philosophy of “Objectivism”, changed the Western World. She also changed Richard’s life. The change began in 1943 when she published the Fountainhead, which had a profound influence on Richard’s life. Richard (then 14 years old) devoured every word and slept with the book beside his bed Then, in 1957 when Ayn Rand published ATLAS SHRUGGED, Richard was 26 years old and he had already become an Ayn Rand archetype. Richard, now 84, has enjoyed a full life, spanning 14 different successful careers, and is now in his final career as a professional sculptor. Richard, always an exponent of Ayn Rand’s Individualism, always obsessed to do things “My Way”, has lived all over the world in a larger-than-life continuous adventure, spanning 14 different successful careers, always the individual, always driven to achieve by his own standards. Now, at the height of his creative powers, Richard has summoned his skills to interpret Ayn Rand’s philosophy in art form. Here are some words from one of Richard’s Collectors: “Richard, I am at the Ranch and opened this email on ATLAS SHRUGGED I, and it made my day. Art should evoke passion or stir feelings in the eye of the beholder and my enthusiasm and feelings of joy evoked in the celebration of the image, strength, story of hope and power of the piece has not waned one iota. I have liked other sculptures of yours but this one is not just beautiful to look at or admire as a work of art. This one makes me happy and elicits an involuntary smile when I look at it. It is a Tour De Force in its own way. It is hope, triumph and victory all in one. Something that maybe all of us yearn for inside. A human yearning of the hope to experience the freedom to be who we want to be, not being part of the mind numbing collective of boundaries set down for us, breaking out, casting off the chains that bind us, running to the light, breathing in the air of individual freedom and the promise and hope of the unchained road ahead of us. Like the Great Escape. We want to cheer the individual that manages to do the Great Escape. He is a symbol of hope that it is not all wishful thinking and fantasy but that can be reality and that it does exist. That it is possible. In our life and in the world around us we need hope and to believe in the uniqueness and truth of the indomitable strength of mankind. That we are just not a number. That we cannot be broken, we will not be broken and in the end we will emerge victorious and get to the top of Maslow's pyramid of the human existence and bath in the nirvana of self actualization. So you see, you accomplished your basic goal with this piece and far beyond. Well, for me anyway. It is a powerful piece in motion and I am sure, like all great works of art, each individual will see something and experience their own unique reaction to the imagery and symbolism of the sculpture based on their own emotional makeup and life journey. I would be interested, if you care to share, reactions to the sculpture that other individuals express to you. I relate on a personal level to Atlas and it makes me happy to see that: He did it! There is hope. Lead, follow or get the hell out if the way- Atlas leads. Please let me know when my Atlas is ready to ship; and what the shipping, bronze, steel and total costs are that I need to reimburse you for.
Best, The primary theme of The Fountainhead was individualism versus collectivism, not in politics but within a man’s soul. It mirrored Ayn Rand’s beliefs that the individual is of supreme value, the “fountainhead” of creativity, and that selfishness, properly understood as ethical egoism, is a virtue. This is how Richard has lived his life. Now Richard pours his very soul into the ATLAS SHRUGGED series to express the meaning of his life. One could say that Richard’s Atlas is really Howard Roark and that Howard Roark is actually Richard Minns. “ATLAS SHRUGGED” is Richard’s TRUTH.
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