Metaphor: The Tree of Utah

There is an 87-foot-tall cement tree located in the desolate Great Salt Lake Desert of Utah.

The sculpture was created by the Swedish artist Karl Momen in the 1980s and dedicated in 1986. The sculpture, which is constructed mainly of concrete, consists of a squarish 'trunk' holding up six spheres that are coated with natural rock and minerals native to Utah. There are also several hollow sphere segments on the ground around the base.

Inscribed on the plaque are the words from Ode to Joy by Friedrich Schiller; also used as the chorus of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It has been said that Momen was moved to create the 87-foot-tall tree after having a vision of a tree while driving across the desolate Bonneville Salt Flats.

More reading here:

Metaphor: The Tree of Utah by Utah Travel Council 
Metaphor: The Tree of Utah by Roadside America
Utah Pictures - Bonneville Salt Flats by Utah Pictures.com

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