Forward by William King

Walking in unison, the twelve metal figures stride for an unknown destination.  Together, these anonymous figures are supporting each other as they move into the future.  Placed on the Iowa State University campus, this sculpture represents the relationships formed within the collegiate environment.  Friendly relationships between students or professional relationships among faculty, both are important to the success of ISU.  The artist, Bill King, intended these figures to be simplified and without individual characteristic as a technique to attract the attention of the viewer.  Since the figures have no race, gender, or specific appearance, all people are able to relate to them. 

If you look closely at the figures individually, each is positioned in a slightly different direction.  This begs the question, are the figures really walking together? My interpretation of this, slight difference in position, relates to the student body as a whole.   Each of us is unique and we all hope for something different when we first come to college.   However, as the semesters go by, we find that many of us have dreams and aspirations in common.   These commonalities are what create lifelong friendships. 

In my opinion, each figure is moving forward in their own life.  There is no leader or follower, each has their own goals.  However, while striving for personal success, everyone needs the support of their friends.  To me, the sculpture is addressing the importance of creating your own path, while understanding your need for friends.  With support, each of us can become better people, citizens, and students. 

- By Libby Grant

Shoulders of Giants by Nina Ward

As I sat registering for my last semester of classes at Iowa State, a slight fear began to surface inside of me.  Am I ready to graduate and move on? Have I learned all I need to find a successful job? In order to get a hold of my fear I began reflecting on my time at Iowa State, what I had learned and who had helped me get here.  The more I thought the more I felt my experience could be summed up visually by Shoulders of Giants, the sculpture that greets me daily in the library.

Shoulders of Giants, by Nina Ward, visually symbolizes the most important purpose of Iowa State University.  Two Percheron horses are sculpted side by side in harness.  One horse stands slightly larger than the other. This horse’s name is Doc, and he is helping the smaller horse, Charlie.  With a tilted head, Doc is showing Charlie how to walk in harness, but also protecting him by shielding his face.  The relationship between the two draft horses symbolizes the mentor relationship between faculty and students at the University.

As I contemplated the sculpture further, I realized the title also brings to mind the idea of mentoring and being helped through the growing process.  The more I thought about what it means to grow as a college student the majority of memories were unpleasant.  Growing intellectually and learning how to be a better person are not always easy lessons to get through.  Ward is sure to address these difficult experiences, as well.  Both horses are depicted in a rough, unfinished manner that communicates the fact that all people are still learning and striving to polish themselves into better individuals.   I can visually sense the malleability of the clay material Ward used to create this sculpture.  The handmade quality of this sculpture adds to the message that the University helps shape its students into successful individuals. 

In addition to the handmade quality, the material is used to represent difficult terrain.  The color, the lifelike wet sheen, and the almost sloppy aesthetic visually create what I would deem a challenging landscape.  Does this symbolize the difficult terrain that settlers faced when first plowing the Iowa Prairie or could it be a symbol for the struggles students must face to be successful?

I tend to believe Ward was striving for both interpretations.  The horses seem to be slowly rising from the sludge as a representation of individual growth.  However, she emphasizes the fact that no student can do it alone.  The guidance provided by the faculty is essential to the student’s success. 

-by Libby Grant

Left Sided Angel by Stephen De Staebler

Rising from the ash, this figure is disheveled and visually destroyed.  With only one wing, on its left side, how could this figure fly? How could it rise? Only with perseverance and dedication can this angel be standing tall in front of me.  But, could the angel be falling from grace rather than rising to meet the viewers gaze?  I tend to connect more to the first description, though both are common interpretations.  I view this sculpture as a human spirit rather than the more literal term angel.  This person’s spirit is tattered; it has been broken down just to the point before pure destruction.  Left Sided Angel represents, for me, the spirit of the people and students that cross its path.  All students have a moment, or two, in their college careers when they feel lost, disheveled, and broken down.  

Locating the sculpture at the threshold of the library allows all students to experience its message.  Not only does the location make the message accessible to students, but the anonymity of the figure helps too.  The figures face is expressionless and lacks definition.  Who is this spirit? Who does this represent?  It represents you.  It represents me.  This anonymity allows the viewer to fill in their own visual information and see the sculpture as an extension of themselves.  Visually, the lack of definition helps appeal to people from all walks of life. 

After spending a good amount of time with the sculpture I realized that the theme was not meant to be depressing.  As you scan the tall bronze figure it is easy to miss the strength that is emitted.  Focus on the left leg: in-tact, anatomically rendered, strong.  In my eyes, this strength, evident in the figures left leg, represents hope.  Hope that through intellectual growth I will rise up through difficult times and be stronger, more dedicated to my life and studies. 

As a student this sculpture speaks to me because I am in an important stage of growth, intellectually and emotionally.  Aren’t we all in a perpetual state of growth?  This is precisely why this sculpture is affective on Iowa State University’s campus.  The Left Sided Angel motivates students and university professionals alike.  Through appealing to our emotional side, this spirit stays in our hearts and minds long after we leave the library, the University, and as we move on with our lives.  The message will always be relevant.  Stand tall even when you feel you have nothing left to give.  Rise up when you have been broken down, for your foundation is still strong. 

-By Libby Grant

Janus Agri Altar

Janus Agri Altar is a sculptural work of art that was created in 1986 by Beverly Pepper.  Pepper, originally a painter, turned to sculpture and land art around 1960.  In 1986, Iowa State University commissioned Pepper to create a sculpture for the courtyard of Agronomy Hall on campus.  This courtyard is formed by the three sides of the horseshoe shaped building, with the fourth side enclosed by green space.  At the beginning of the project, Pepper struggled to convince the agronomy faculty to approve her site specific work of abstract sculpture.  In fact, they requested a bronze John Deere tractor. In the end, however, her method of explaining her inspiration and the deeper meaning of the sculpture won them over. 

To discover the deeper meaning and the artist's intentions I looked to the title for answers. Janus, the mythological Roman god, is often identified with beginnings and endings or past and future.  To illustrate this, Janus is often depicted having two faces.  The Romans originally named the month of January after Janus and this name is still used by English speaking countries today.  January ends one year as it begins another.  The use of this character as inspiration can be seen in the mirrored shape of the sculpture both horizontally and vertically.  This mirrored effect represents the two faces of the sculpture.  I feel Pepper did a wonderful job of illustrating and symbolizing the cyclical nature of agriculture through her abstract representation. 

The second part of the title, Agri, is significant because it was selected to represent the word agriculture.  This seems fitting considering the sculpture is sitting in the courtyard of Agronomy Hall, on ISU's campus whose history is deeply rooted in agriculture, in the middle of a state that depends on crops.  The monumental size of the bronze sculpture makes me that the artist was trying to express the monumental importance of agriculture to Iowa State, and through out the world.

Paired with Janus, another theme that comes through is the idea of the past, present, and future of agriculture.  In order to understand this theme I had to dissect the meaning of the sculptures shape.  The sculpture mimics that of a digging spade.  To me, the orientation of the sculpture is also essential in understanding the overall meaning.  One massive spade is rooted deep in the ground, while another is reaching for the sky.  The lower represents the beginning of agriculture.  Mirrored horizontally, the other spade reaches upward to exemplify the vast opportunities for the future.  Both bronze spades, however, are connected by a common handle showing the importance of both the past and future on the present.  Each of these time periods have been or will be advanced by the research and dedication of Iowa State University.

The final word of the title is altar.  What comes to mind when you hear the word altar? For me, I think of a place of mediation or reflection, a place of religious importance, and a sacred place.  Including this word in the title communicates Pepper's desire for this sculpture to become a gathering place for students of agriculture to reflect upon their lives and studies. 

Dissecting the title offers a glimpse into the artist's intentions, but the question is, does the imagery come through strong enough for us as viewers to understand?  In my opinion, Beverly Pepper has done a wonderful job of offering little hints to her symbolism without hitting us over the head with the obvious answers.

I feel, by dissecting the title, it is easy to appreciate the brilliant concept behind this sculpture. For me, this sculpture is perfectly located; tucked away in the courtyard it almost seems as though one must make a pilgrimage to the sculpture to truly experience the meditative quality.  Though I have no affiliation to the College of Agriculture, I still feel a strong connection to the sculpture.  The fact that it represents Iowa State University's history makes it symbolic for all students.  It begs the question, where would we all be without agriculture?

http://www.museums.iastate.edu/AOCFactSheetsPDF/New%20Fact%20Sheet%2009/JanusAgriAltar.pdf

-By Libby Grant

We Shall Know Iowa State By Its Myriad Parts

I begin with a mural that incorporates all aspects of the university. We Shall Know Iowa State By Its Myriad Parts was commissioned in 2007 to ornament the walls of the Hixson-Lied Student Success Center. This center was created to aid students in their quest for academic success. It provides tutors and learning resources but also provides assistance to student athletes. The mural reflects the goals of Hixson-Lied by representing all the academic departments and athletic teams that make up the Iowa State community. The work of art is made up of 80 wooden boxes that depict anything from animal anatomy to the extended color wheel. The acrylic paint ranges from bright color palettes to subdued neutral tones. The mishmash of subject matter, color palettes, and artistic styles adds to the overall aesthetic and makes the viewer create connections to their own lives. Created by Sticks, Inc. a workshop based out of Des Moines, IA, the sculptural mural is able to speak to all people because of its diverse panels that appeal to all styles. I was able to find a great quote provided by Sticks, Inc. that discusses why they feel the mural should impact all of its viewers. “Student’s academic success depends upon being able to identify themselves as part of the academic world. Each student entering the Hixson-Lied Student Success Center ought to be able to envision himself or herself as a part of the varied mural and the university it celebrates.” (http://www.museums.iastate.edu/AOCFactSheetsPDF/Hixson-Lied.pdf)


This quote is a great way to interpret the goal of the artists and also the goal of the University Museums to inspire students through images of their future.

My interpretations of the mural have been altered slightly by the information I found through the museum, however the panels speak for themselves. As a student of Iowa State, I find the mural to be incredibly motivating. I feel the artwork is successful in making even the most basic aspects of any academic or athletic program seem monumental. By placing these images in the atrium of the two-story building each panel seems significant.

When I first visited the mural I went with a friend of mine that is getting a degree in chemistry…a complete 180 degrees from my own degree program. However, what I found amazing was that both of us were able to connect with certain aspects of the mural and even found panels that touched us both. As I stood in front of this immense mural the emotion that came through the strongest was a feeling of pride: proud that I was a hard worker academically, proud to be a part of the College of Design, and most importantly proud to be a Cyclone. After I left the mural, I couldn’t help but think about the fact that the sculptural mural was a relatively simple idea. As the institution that commissioned the mural, I might have had a hard time accepting this concept for fear that it might be too obvious to viewers. I would have feared that it would not have elicited enough emotion or kept visitors coming back. Wow did Sticks, Inc. deliver! Not only is each tile thought provoking, they also challenge the viewer to think about the deeper meaning of each image. I was even compelled to do some research about ISU after I could not identify the relationship some of the panels had with the university.

In the end, I was able to grasp what I thought was a simple, elementary concept and see how effective this mural had become. I am glad We Shall Know Iowa State By Its Myriad Parts, was my first artwork in my blog because it gave me a sense of what the University Museums is looking for when they purchase art for their public collection. Providing a mural that all students can identify with and appreciate in their own way makes this sculptural mural a successful work of art for an academic success center. In addition, I have learned the importance of site-specific public artwork. Through understanding the importance of this murals location I will be able to evaluate how successful the location is for other public artwork.

To complete this blog entry I would like to express how important it is to research and learn about your own community and university. No matter if you live at ISU or, god forbid you might go to the University of Iowa, or even somewhere across the country, before you think about spending gobs of money to experience other culture see what is in your own backyard. You might be surprised by what you find.

http://www.museums.iastate.edu/AOCFactSheetsPDF/Hixson-Lied.pdf

-By Libby Grant