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CNN Live At Daybreak

Is It Real, or Is It a Sculpture?

Aired August 07, 2002 - 05:57   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Is it real or is it sculpture? That's the question visitors to downtown Stanford, Connecticut may find themselves asking as they tour an annual outdoor art show.

Reporter Tom Lewis of CNN affiliate WTNH in New Haven, Connecticut shows us images of urban life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDY GOLDSTEIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DOWNTOWN SPECIAL SERVICES: They're great works of art, indeed, by J. Stewart Johnson (ph) and Prince Manou (ph) all through the downtown.

TOM LEWIS, WTNH CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If it seems that some of the Stanford population is at a standstill, well, that's because they are, lifelike replicas of people doing ordinary things in an extraordinary display of sculpture called Images of Urban Life, an annual tradition in the city.

GOLDSTEIN: The object is that somebody looks at Pierre painting this beautiful church and says this is real. And you look at him and you can't tell if he's real or if he's not real. And then you'll take a look across the street and you'll see someone standing and you'll say is that a work of art or is that really a person?

LEWIS: The works are so real it's hard to tell who is metal and who is flesh.

(on camera): Do people ever confuse you, Tina, for being a statue if you don't move for several minutes?

TINA: Yes, I think so. They look over to make sure I'm moving.

LEWIS: Did you see the one -- it's very lifelike -- of two painters and a fountain?

TINA: Yes, I saw that, too.

LEWIS: I saw that. It moved.

TINA: It moved? What did it do?

LEWIS: It sort of pinged.

TINA: Oh, I can't believe it. I didn't see that.

LEWIS (voice-over): The still life can be very appealing. Just ask Tina.

TINA: Sometimes I just lay out there in front of the statues, put my towel down and just lay still.

LEWIS (on camera): For how long?

TINA: Just, you know, 10, 15 minutes. Just to...

LEWIS: Not for the bulk of the day?

TINA: No, not the bulk of the day. I have to go back to work, unfortunately.

LEWIS (voice-over): The life sized sculptures will be working, as well, drawing tourists and stares through August.

In Stanford, Tom Lewis, News Channel 8.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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