Alone in art history, the Berwyn Spindle is the only work of sculpture specifically recognized as being of great historical value by the 1992 Paramount tour de force, Wayne’s World. A fifty foot tall stiletto skewering 8 rusting hulks, the Spindle deftly sidesteps some irony points by eschewing a Chevy Impala from its line-up of perforated cars.
But now, maybe someone out there will get the chance to deliver that final masterstroke that turns a work of mere sublime beauty into a masterpiece perfectly encapsulating the human condition. Thanks to a campaign by Berwyn residents who have hated the Spindle ever since it was first erected to tickle their collective o-rings, the Spindle has been put up on eBay for auction. The opening bid is $50,000, but like all eBay auctions, they’re reaming prospective buyers on shipping: the winner will have to pay $100,000 for delivery.
I’m looking forward to the news stories to come out of this after it’s sold. “Impaled Skeleton Found In Red Spindle Volkswagen; Police Mystified By Smile, Box of Kleenex.”
Okay, which boingboing reader asked this question to the seller:
Q: Are the cars in working condition?
A: It depends on what type of work you want them to do.
NPR covered The Spindle last August on “All Things Considered”:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12782760
It’s a shame, the world needs more of this type of public art, and less Walgreens (the reason they are removing it).