Bigger Than Life & Beyond Reason

If you have passed through or vacationed in Wisconsin, you have no doubt seen one of these giant statues or balloons in front of a business. I am not sure they are exclusive to the Wisconsin commercial life, but I have concluded they are an accepted part of the cheddar culture. My image was taken in Wisconsin, where it is prominently displayed in front of a fireworks outlet. Its fierce visage likely is attributed to finding few skyscrapers to climb.

These commercial giants, along with their miniature, more populous cousins, the common lawn statue, confirm that there is something in our psyches that embraces these things. To examine that concept, I spoke to several neighbors about the reasons they chose to display a statue within their landscape. One neighbor told me that he placed a concrete deer near the edge of his property to mark the property line. I'm not sure the real deer that occasionally pass through our neighborhood feel the same about property lines. Another neighbor told me that the regal-looking concrete dog guarding the entry to his house served as a reminder of his love for a special setter. Out of sheer whimsy, most people who are inclined to purchase lawn statues will first buy a garden gnome. I like to think that garden gnomes are like a gateway drug for the lawn statue collectors. Gnomes are easily hidden among garden foliage and are hardly noticed by the neighbors, but suddenly the gnome is joined by a fearsome gargoyle near the mailbox.

I think whimsy is the main reason people purchase a lawn ornament. I can't believe that this is a rational decision developed in the same manner as buying a new sofa. For that reason, these giant figures greeting us at restaurants, grand openings, and even fireworks stands appeal to the whimsy within us and compel us to stop for a second look. Putting a little whimsy in your photography is not a bad idea either.