Catastrophe struck at UMass Boston when an overzealous janitor set about taking apart the structure known as Huru, mistaking the rusty metal for recyclable material. John Doe, as officials are calling him, was enraged by what he referred to as “yet more waste” on campus. “It’s not enough we have officials earning six-figure salaries for keeping ergonomic chairs warm, now we have valuable scrap metal that could be put to good use.”
Huru, done by Mark di Suvero, is an example of “assemblage,” a style of art that involves using “found” materials to create new works. The 30-foot high, 30,000 lb. sculpture, whose name means “hello” in an aboriginal language, has been greeting students and teachers alike for years and will be sorely missed.
When asked her opinion, a student who preferred to remain anonymous said, “Wow, that was art? I thought the Big Dig needed a dump site.”
UMB officials are debating whether to leave the space in front of the Quinn Administration Building empty or replace it with a sculpture of current President William Bulger’s head.