Walking Tour (August 2011-July 2012)
1. Kubota Orange Dinosaurs (steel)
Matt Moyer, Columbia, Mo.
ARTIST STATEMENT: “‘Kubota Orange Dinosaurs’ is from a series of new works, ‘Dinosaurs, Small Monuments to BigMachines,’ that explores society’s relationship with heavy machinery. Society often refers to old machines, both functioning and defunct, as ‘dinosaurs.’ Within this work, I explore that phrase as both a literal and as an abstract idea. These sculptures bring a whimsical approach to the exploration of ridged geometry by exploring colorful, playful and spatially interactive forms that engage surrounding architecture, spaces and the people who inhabit them.
“These works investigate a new and lighthearted way to contemplate heavy machinery. Through the titles and inclusion of the authentic colors that correspond to industrial manufacturers, I associate these abstracted welded objects with their heavy machinery counterparts, paying tribute to their usefulness in our contemporary society.”
Moyer received a master of fine arts degree in ceramics and sculpture from the University of Missouri. His ceramics and mixed media sculptures have been shown in galleries and art centers throughout the world. His public sculpture has been exhibited and permanently installed in Iowa,Illinois, Kansas and Missouri. In addition to maintaining a studio in his home, Moyer teaches and serves as studio manager at Access Arts School of Service in Columbia, Mo.
2. Phoenician (metal, glass)
Rollin Karg, Kechi, Kan.
ARTIST STATEMENT: “When one thinks of the Phoenicians, you conjure images of a great tribe. They opened trade to the Mediterranean Sea and northern part of Africa. They were part of a very prosperous kingdom. The Greeks received their alphabet from them, and the Phoenicians were famed for their antiquities. Fierce in their negotiations and protective of their culture through either trade or battle, the Phoenicians were, and are, remarkable."
“I am a scientist/engineer by training, an artist/craftsman by trade and an artist/designer at heart. I grew up in the Midwest, married Patti, and we set out to create a future with glass. My love of glass and the outdoors have led me all over the world. The cultures of the past and the current artists today are a great feeding ground for art and all of its possibilities."
“Like all artists who are in a constant state of change with their creations, metal has been a logical companion for my glass. It has allowed me to construct with greater dimension and flexibility. I know of no other artist moving in this direction, and the future is bright.”
3. Dreams of Flying (steel)
Robbie Barber, Waco, Texas.
ARTIST STATEMENT: “As I have traveled throughout North Carolina and rural America, I have become fascinated with the strong visual character of this country’s vernacular architecture. For me, vintage lapboard houses, shotgun shacks, mobile homes, tobacco barns and other agrarian-related structures have become regional icons, and tell stories of the people who have built or inhabited them. This implied, history interests me deeply."
“Other influences include science fiction, toy design, both folk and outsider art and found objects in general. I fuse these influences to create hybrid objects of fantasy, the results of which are often humorous, ironic or visually poetic in nature. In keeping with this, ‘Dreams of Flying’ depicts a shotgun shack that is transformed into a space craft of dubious reliability. While reminding us of the inherent dangers of space travel, this sculpture also depicts the ultimate escapist dream of flying.”
Barber is associate professor of sculpture at Baylor University, Waco, Texas, where he teaches sculpture and 3D design. He received a bachelor of fine arts degree in sculpture from East CarolinaUniversity, Greenville, N.C., and a master of fine arts degree in sculpture from the University of Arizona, Tucson. Although Barber has lived in Texas for the past 17 years, he was raised on a farm in North Carolina and returns to his home state every summer to visit family and conduct research.
4. Inverted Arch (limestone, steel)
Kenneth M. Thompson, Blissfield, Mich.
ARTIST STATEMENT: “I have long felt that profound art contained a high level of spiritual content, not necessarily that of religion, but that of the ‘spirit of a man,’ a spirit defined by his truth and honor. My sculpture is based on this form of spirituality. Beyond content, my sculpture concentrates on the fundamental issue of form and how negative space defines it as well as the techniques employed to create it.”
Thompson received a master of liberal studies degree in sculpture from the University of Toledo and a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting and printmaking from Siena Heights University, Adrian, Mich. He has been making sculpture for more than 30 years out of his car-dealership-turned-studio in Blissfield, Mich. From this facility, Thompson and his six employees also operate Flatlanders Sculpture Supply and Art Galleries and the MidwestSculpture Initiative. He is well versed in bronze casting and metal fabrication, but prefers stone carving.
5. Expansion (stainless steel)
Heidi Hamilton, Omaha, Neb.
ARTIST STATEMENT: “Suspension bridges largely influenced the sculpture ‘Expansion.’ The way a suspension bridge expands from a point into two planes made for an interesting basis for a unit. I am interested in the way units can be replicated and then interlocked and assembled like a puzzle. I chose a linear structure because the lines converge and intersect at different vantage points, animating the sculpture.”
Hamilton was born in Omaha, Neb., and is a senior at Wayne (Neb.) State College. Her work has been displayed in three Wayne State juried student art shows. She previously served as president of the art club at the college and has an interest in pursuing a master of fine arts degree.
6. Lantern Light (metal, with stainless steel base)
Ye Yushan, Beijing, China
ARTIST STATEMENT: A Chinese master artist, Ye has completed more than 100 pieces in the last 40 years. He is a celebrated sculptor who rose to national prominence in his homeland after creating a white marble statue near Tiananmen Square of Mao Zedong that depicts the Communist leader seated in a chair. Ye received a master's degree in sculpture at the Central Institute of Fine Arts, Beijing, in 1963.
"Lantern Light" is one of four sculptures given to U.S. cities by the Chinese government to commemorate 30 years of formal Sino-American diplomatic relations. Cities receiving sculptures by other artists are Atlanta, Ga.; Newark, N.J. and Washington, D.C.
This sculpture is placed on the campus while a permanent location is determined in downtown Topeka.
7. Topiary with a Twist
Patrick Dougherty, Chapel Hill, N.C.
ARTIST STATEMENT: An environmental sculptor, Dougherty combines an affection for nature, carpentry skills and primitive building techniques to weave truckloads of indigenous tree saplings into an organic, free-standing sculpture inspired by the local environment. His work explores the supple, linear energy of young tree saplings woven into natural , nest-like settings, with inventive references to architectural and sculptural forms and concepts of domestic shelter, habitats, passageways and vistas. The aging process and weathered forms gradually underscores the organic composition of the sculpture's material.
Dougherty earned degrees from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and The University of Iowa, Iowa City. He has created more than 200 environmental sculptures throughout the world.
Community volunteers were recruited to work with Doughtery in the harvesting of the thousands of saplings and in the creation of the work, which took place in November 2009 and was at the invitation of the Mulvane Art Museum. The site specific sculpture will be shown on the grounds of the Mulvane through 2011. For additional information, visit www.stickwork.net.
Questions or comments about this site may be addressed to Dena Anson, dena.anson@washburn.edu.
