Maggie Sasso | Too Much Sea for Amateurs—Marooned | 2016

Photos by: Kevin J. Miyazaki / Sculpture Milwaukee

Milwaukee-based artist Maggie Sasso is interested in the unique culture that exists along the shores of Lake Michigan. She explores the myths, legends, and metaphors of maritime culture, and how they represent the fragility of life. Her diverse background in craft, woodworking and metalsmithing has allowed her to create a wide array of objects, from the flags and semaphores used to guide ships to clothing inspired by nautical wear. 

In her piece Too Much Sea for Amateurs—Marooned, 2016, Sasso has recreated the 1926 Art Deco Coast Guard station along Milwaukee’s harbor breakwater. While the building seems like a toy miniature from a distance, the building is enormous, isolated, and dangerous to get to from land or water. Sasso’s work recalls the work of our forbearers, their hard work and sacrifice in trying to tame the lake while protecting those on land.