Fall is in full swing, and all over town the leaves have turned beautiful shades of red, yellow and gold. The air is cool and crisp and people are gearing up for Halloween. Recently, I was taking a stroll through the leafy Princeton University campus and a novel sight stopped me dead in my tracks: a colossal pumpkin!
This is no ordinary pumpkin. It is made of metal, has recessed polka dots all over it, and a signature in one of the dots: Yayoi Kusama. A bit of Internet searching revealed that she is a legendary Japanese Pop and avant-garde artist who has long been obsessed with dots and pumpkins. My searches also revealed that, as part of the Campus Art program, the university placed (planted?) this sculpture in this spot to enhance the experience of this art for viewers. In case you want to see the sculpture for yourself, the stem can be seen from Nassau Street just a bit to the east of the main gate. It won’t rot like an ordinary gourd, but I read that this is a short-term installation so try to be quick.
After visting the pumpkin, be sure to stop by the library. We have a large selection of Halloween-themed books and movies on display on all three floors. Happy fall, everyone!
Photo courtesy of the author.