This semester has been
a pretty busy one. My schedule filled with business classes on topics that
don’t come naturally to me, I feel as though these new confusing things have
been a real change of pace from my comfort zone. My time in the Museums this semester
is giving me some of my only history exposure of the semester. I have been
learning a lot about Christian Petersen, and the huge impact he’s had on this
campus. The artist in residence for 21 years, his art includes the Fountain of
the Four Seasons, Conversations, and many others. The library holds one of my
favorite pieces by Petersen, and it has become more meaningful to me this
semester.
Much
like my semester, the library can be a hectic place, full of the bustle
of students, busily trying to get their work done. Further inside holds an
escape from all of this. Walk past Bookends café, and immediately the library
becomes much quieter. I see the familiar Grant Wood mural, and the two figures
that are guarding it. These sculptures were made by Christian Petersen in 1944
as a replacement for lamps that were originally supposed to be in that
location. The two figures are so calm and simple. Throughout this year, I have
learned a little more about the history behind them. At the time they were
made, men and women were in separate classes, lived on opposite sides of
campus, and even had a curfew of 7:30. The library was one of the only places
where boys and girls could meet without a chaperone. Once you put these
sculptures into context, they hold more information. They are
shyly looking at each other, so there are undertones of flirtation and
secret meanings in their gazes.
The library's art to me
is special in that there are so many images of ISU’s history, covering every
student’s experience. In between all this art are the two statues, representing
the individual student. My favorite part about Christian Petersen’s works are
that he so often captured quiet moments that everyone encounters in their life.
The stone isn’t a flashy color, it’s just simply carved in a way that fits its
surroundings. I feel like the statues may be lost in between these massive
murals by Grant Wood and in the rotunda, but that’s what I like about them.
They are two people, focused on their studies (or probably more likely, each
other), and every student can project their own story onto them.
