Description
Rising with a deliberate tilt and crowned with an American flag, The Leaning Tower of Woody Creek is a whimsical homage to the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa — interpreted through Martin Cooney’s signature reductionist lens and carved from fossil-rich Oklahoma Winterset limestone.
Playful yet technically precise, the sculpture replicates the tower’s famous arcaded tiers with simplified arches that evoke the Romanesque original, while embracing the material’s natural grain and texture. Its exaggerated lean and placement atop a raw, unshaped base of native stone add a touch of humor and humility — suggesting both architectural marvel and rustic Americana.
The flag at the top, mounted straight atop the tilting column, gives the piece an extra layer of wit — as if to say: “Yes, we’re off balance, but proudly so.”
Whether viewed as satire, tribute, or an artistic balancing act, this freestanding sculpture is both a technical feat and a conversation starter — grounded in limestone, but never too grounded to tip its hat.
