The Awakening at Hains Point
The Awakening is a statue in East Potomac Park, at a place called Hains Point at the very end of the park. East Potomac Park is a public park along the banks of the Potomac River in Washington DC, occupying a jalapeño-shaped peninsula between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel. East Potomac Park contains a public golf course, picnic areas, other recreational areas, and at the very end of the park, is The Awakening, a unique statue created by J. Seward Johnson. The statue is designed to appear to be much more than it actually is. It depicts a giant poking out of the ground upon waking up from a slumber. As such, his head, both hands, his right knee, and his right foot are visible.
Since this photo set was taken on March 8, 2003, the statue has been relocated. The Awakening is now located at the National Harbor, in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Surrounding East Potomac Park is the Potomac River on one side, and Washington Channel on the other side. The Washington Channel connects the Potomac River with the Tidal Basin.
As you can see, East Potomac Park is a peaceful place. There’s water on both sides, and trees above.
As was the case at the Alexandria Waterfront, bits of wood were floating in the water and collecting around the banks of the river, though not nearly as much here as in Alexandria.
Additionally, all kinds of watercraft, sailboats in this case, grace us with their presence.
One thing to note, though, is that East Potomac Park is prone to flooding, being right in the middle of the Potomac River. According to the Washington Area Roadskaters Web site, East Potomac Park is one of the first things to go underwater if there is any kind of flooding. I’m guessing that this debris is left over from an episode of flooding?
Meanwhile, a father and son take time to fly a kite…
Looking across the Potomac River, one can catch a glimpse of the Virginia side of the Potomac, with Arlington County (Rosslyn neighborhood pictured here), and the City of Alexandria in clear view.
And at last: The Awakening!
The most visible part of The Awakening is the statue’s right arm. It is the tallest part of the statue. According to a few folks I encountered, there are some people daring enough to actually climb up to the hand.
That one hand really is a dramatic sight, don’t you think?
The left knee is a popular play-spot for the adventurous. Many not only attempt to climb up to the top to say they’ve done it, but the knee also serves as a makeshift slide.
And judging by how smooth the leg is, I’d guess a lot of people have been sliding.
The right foot is also popular with climbers, mainly to get a unique kind of seat. Here, you can see a person sitting in the big toe.
And for those who can’t climb up on their own, a father helps his daughter up to the hot spot.
The other hand is a popular spot for people to be photographed at…
…and also for climbing.
Note the amount of detail in this statue, particularly to emphasize the texture of the fingernail.
The eyes were an interesting creation… in order to create the proper “look” of eyes with a single-color material, instead of a normal texture, the eyes sink in and then have a ridge in the sunken-in area.
The nose is fairly simple – put two cavities in to serve as nostrils.
The mouth is well done, indeed, with everything you would expect, in large size.
The effect is deliberate, but the result uncertain… is the statue eating the kid, or is the kid crawling out of the statue?
A beautiful statue, in a beautiful park…
