Scale: Interior Central Section by Cheryl Goldsleger

            Noted not only for its involved technical process as well as subject matter, Scale: Interior Central Section is a unique artwork created by Cheryl Goldsleger.  Made of layered wax, pigment, graphite and incising, this artwork cannot be claimed as a drawing or painting, but possibly as its own category of form.

This artwork, which was created for Beardshear Hall, is often compared to the complex relationship between Iowa State’s administrative system and the campus bureaucracy.  A jumble of intricate practices, these two interactions are akin to the overlapping lines and forms found in Goldsleger’s work of art.  Beardshear houses these two offices, as they interact and cooperate together, overlapping their own order and logic.

As a student at Iowa State, I can relate to Scale: Interior Central Section in a slightly different light, comparing it to two important moments of my college career.  To me, college is a contained yet infinite space in itself.  As a freshman, I greeted college with an anxious stomach.  My choice to attend college was precise; however, what I was going to gain from college was not yet clear.  When I first saw Goldsleger’s artwork, I too felt uneasy.  The complicated structure looks meticulously conscious and deliberate, yet the form and space feels unknowing. 

As I continued along in my education, I finally gained a major in which to study and also the confidence to pursue it.  Now, as I approach my last year at Iowa State, I have begun to encounter another uncomfortable feeling.  Many students see graduation as a troublesome event, something that will lead us into the “real” world.  It is in this real world that many college graduates will encounter the harsh realities of job applications, interviews, and possible employment rejections.  I see this feeling again in Goldsleger’s piece, as the various spaces are filled with multiple viewpoints.  There is clarity yet a sense of undefined limitation. 

Iowa State has given us structure, but the structure is ours to transform.  What each student gains from college is different, as is what they choose to do in their lives after college. 

            This painting is currently on exhibition in the Christian Petersen Art Museum in Morrill Hall as part of the Subject to Change exhibition.  Spend time looking at Scale: Interior Central Section, and see what feeling and interpretation it has for you.

By Molly Larson

Marriage Ring by Christian Petersen

When getting married one should expect luxurious honeymoons, magic carpet rides, sharing a plate of spaghetti and living happily ever after…

Oh, hold on.  I think I am mixing animated Disney films with reality.  What does one expect when getting married?  Today, the United State’s divorce rate is declining as many individuals wait or choose not to marry.  As a country with a high percentage of marriages ending in divorce, I feel as though the 21st century American marriage is nothing but a romantic idea, a disposable form of affection.

Looking back, early Western Civilizations often used marriage as a form of business.  The two families would arrange the marriage of their son and daughter in order to prosper in their own family relations or solidify their political stance.  Marriage was not of love and care but of collaboration and reproduction.   As seen in Ancient Greece and Rome, marriage was something practical and expected of each man.  A man was often looked down upon if he did not marry a woman or produce child.

In Medieval Europe, Christianity began to spread and transform the idea of marriage.  Highly influenced by the church, marriage could no longer be broken or separated by divorce.  This is also a time in history where the representation of a marriage ring came into play again (as some believe the marriage ring first originated in ancient Egyptian civilizations).  This ring was a symbol of everlasting love, an unbroken unity between man and woman.

Protestant Martin Luther believed marriage was something mature and sophisticated, something only fit for the government’s control.  At the same time, Modern European and American Catholics believed marriage was to be performed in a church, by a priest, with two witnesses.

Today, marriage, as well as divorce, has been liberated from religious laws.  Individuals may marry in any form of presentation they see fit or choose to divorce their spouse at any time they see fit. 

It is clear that marriage has been, and still is to this day, highly influenced by society.  Originally created in 1942 and later reproduced in concrete, Christian Petersen’s Marriage Ring suggests a symbol of marriage from Iowa in the 1940s.  Christian Petersen has a long-standing history at Iowa State University.  He was not only Iowa State’s, as well as the Nation’s, first permanent Artist-in-Residence but also a teacher in the Department of Home Economics at Iowa State.  The Marriage Ring is made of terra cotta and is a sculpture of three children sitting beside a round pool.  The  pool represents the band of a marriage ring, where the children represent the gems or diamonds of the ring.  By making the children the gems it is clear that Petersen valued the unity of  marriage for its creation of family.  In comparing this concept of marriage to the marriages we see today, I value this sculpture, not for its religious beliefs, but for its idea of unity.  It is important to remember that the person one chooses to marry will be the person they spend the rest of their lives with, the person they will consider family and the person they will, possibly, create their own family with. 

By Molly Larson

Sources:

Haeberle, Erwin J. "The Sex Atlas." Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology. 1981.
        Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/index.html>.

Jayson, Sharon. "Divorce Declining, but so Is Marriage." USA Today. 18 July 2005.
        Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-07-18-cohabit-divorce_x.htm>.

"Worldwide Divorce Statistics." Divorce.Com. 2011. Web. 31 May 2011.
         <http://www.divorce.com/article/divorce-statistics.>

Rabbit Hill by Debra Masuoka

 “Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were -- Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter. They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big tree.” This is the introduction to The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. This was one of my favorite stories growing up. My mom would read this book to me until I was old enough to read it myself. I would spend nights studying the pictures and laughing at Peter’s mischievous adventures. Sitting next to Rabbit Hill by Debra Masuoka at Reiman Gardens, brings back many childhood memories. It amazes me how many of these memories involve bunnies.

 

“Bunny ears, bunny ears, playing by a tree.

Criss-crossed the tree, trying to catch me.

Bunny ears, Bunny ears, jumped into the hole,

popped out the other side beautiful and bold.”

This little rhyme can be heard under the breath of many children first learning to tie their shoes. Making “bunny ear” loops as they practice tying their shoes over and over again. As they go on with their day, their young minds are entertained with Bugs Bunny from the Loony Tunes or present day children watch Ruby and Max.  Their hearts are touched by The Velveteen Rabbit and their imaginations are sparked by the White Rabbit and the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland.  In spring, children bellow out “Here comes Peter Cottontail, hoppin’ down the bunny trail….” alerting all that Easter is on its way.  And at every petting zoo, the rabbits receive the most visitors because children are fascinated with their soft fur and long, elegant ears.

When I look at these sculptures, I connect to my past through childhood memories, but I also feel like I am connecting to Iowa’s past. Rabbit Hill is located in the prairie corner of Reiman Gardens. This corner has wild grasses and flowers that once covered this whole state. I feel almost transported through time: a time where people had to risk their lives to survive; a time of hard work, togetherness, and working with the nature to live. The prairies of Iowa had such beauty and created such rich soil, that it brought many people to the state. People with a dream, with hope, and with imagination who were determined to create a better life for their family. The Iowa prairie gave the pioneers fertile lands for farming and land to support their family. This prairie allowed wildlife to flourish and gave food to the early settlers.  Over time, the prairie began to disappear and farm fields and towns took its place.

As I look closer at Rabbit Hill, I noticed that the heads are painted differently on either side.  One side is more dream-like, with freer marks and colors. To me, this is the side where the childhood memories live. The other side is a truer representation of a rabbit. This side represents the adult view of these animals. As we grow up, the magic of rabbits tends to disappear leaving only the complaints that rabbits eat the garden plants and make holes in the yard.  

The memories of wonderment and excitement that these animals gave us fade over time, just like the natural prairies of Iowa are fading. These sculptures are a reminder of where I have been, and what Iowans before me have gone through. 



By Emily Van Nostrand

Glean 1 and Glean 2 by Tom Stancliffe

Glean 1

Glean 2

  

Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men.  ~Chinese Proverb

During the arctic winter, we get used to the neutral colors of the grassless sod, the leafless branches of the trees and the grey of the snow mixing with the dirt and sand. Venturing out only when necessary, and even that we avoid at all cost due to the bitter cold wind, chilling to the bone. Then the weather gets a little warmer and being outside is bearable, and slowly becomes pleasant. Before we know it, small green shoots pop out of the blacken sod, brightly colored blossoms appear on the barren branches, and living creatures of all kinds suddenly appear. Spring has made its presence.

It is a time of growth, new beginnings and new life. It seems as if Mother Earth awoke from her hibernation and is ready to live and grow. The sun seems to shine brighter and warmer as if to welcome all the new life. Butterflies break through the cocoon, streaking their vibrant colors across the sky as they flutter from flower to flower. Birds return from faraway lands bringing their songs of joy that linger in the air from sunrise to sunset. Rabbits dart in and out of bushes playfully chasing one another.

Places that were barren just a week earlier are blooming in brilliance.  The gentle breeze blows through the tress. The magnolias send sweet perfume through the air. Petals float like feathers to the ground, lining the sidewalks as if a celebration has started. Indeed one has started. Spring is a celebration of life.

The population of humans seems to double as people leave the shelters that protected them during the harsh winter.    Dark layers of clothing disappear revealing brightly patterned clothing in its place. The loud calls and squeals of joy from the children, as they frolic in the park and in the field, fill the silence winter had acquired. Spring is brighter, louder, and happier.

This new feeling and celebration of life is seen in Tom Stancliffe’s Glean 1 and Glean 2 sculptures. They each show a seed sprouting revealing long, elegant stems. At the tips of the stems, colorful buds (Glean 1) and leaves (Glean 2) are seen. These brightly colored shapes contrast the cold grey of the metal, much like the bright green leaflets and colorful buds contrast the grey of winter.  These sculptures stand at the entrances of the Roy J. Carver Co-Laboratory reminding us that no matter how harsh or bleak the winter may be, spring is just around the corner waiting to bring new life and joy into the souls of all.

“O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?”- Shelly

 -By Emily Van Nostrand

Woods, Meadows, and Fence by Gary Bowling

The landscape, drenched in gold from the setting sun, is the perfect picture of tranquility. The mysterious woods stand as a shelter from the viscid openness of the meadow. The meadow seems to expand and disappear from sight at the horizon.  Not a soul is around to hinder the peace and flawlessness of such a place. This is the type of escape people dream of, to break away from the loud noise of the city.

The city, full of racket and people running everywhere; it’s hard to find a place to quietly think. Solitude and privacy is hard to acquire in such a populated area, but not so in the meadow! Oh the meadow is the unspoiled silence. Truly silence is golden, like the sun. The only thing to hear is the soft breeze blowing over the land and the rustling of foliage as animals journey over their abode. You are left there with your thoughts, with your heart.

Such a place is rare, as cities and people impede on the land, taking the meadows for their own benefit, and cutting down the woods for their own uses.  Soon, it seems all the land would be one large settlement of mankind. The fence is just the beginning of mankind’s print on the land, hopefully it’s the last.

However, the love and the want for a little piece of “the olden days” will remain in the hearts of all. Searching to find the spot that seemingly is untouched by human’s selfishness. Where the plants and animals live like they should, in a clean and seemingly perfect setting. This is the land people dream about, poets write about, and artist paint. Nature is truly ideal. 

The folowing is a poem that I wrote that the painting inspired:

Oh please, let me get away from the city,

From the streets and people that are gritty,

To a place that is quiet and pretty.

Where the road ends and trails start.

Where the scent of flowers fill the air,

Away from the eyes of those who stare,

A place where I don’t have to have a care.

That place would have my heart.

The woods provide seekers shade,

As the sun warms up the glade.

The hectic stress begins to fade

As happiness starts to increase.

As the sun sets, it cast all in gold.

Its sight is too perfect to be told.

Its beauty just begins to unfold,

To those who seek peace.

-By Emily Van Nostrand

Crucible by Brower Hatcher

The development for environmentally safe measures and the green movement has taken over the minds of many concerned people in the world.  New ideas and methods for new energy, production processes, and recycling are being tested every day. Fears dwell that greenhouse gases and chemicals from farm run-offs and factories will continue to harm the Earth and all living organisms. The concern of safe disposal of objects like batteries, electronics, and even plastic bags and bottles weigh heavy on the minds of many.  

Brower Hatcher created a wonderful sculpture called Crucible located at the entrance of the Environmental Health & Safety Services Building.  It is a mixed media sculpture that shows the goal of the building. The base of the sculpture is a metal bowl shape representing a crucible. Above the metal shape, three separate geometric metal structures rise into the air. The outside structure has pieces of glass attached to it, representing the substance in the crucible. And the two inner structures represent fire. The Environmental Health & Safety Services Building takes focus on transforming harsh compound chemicals into safe molecules.  The crucible is used to heat up substances to melt, or alter, the substance in order to do a variety of things including chemical reactions and analysis, removing unwanted material or creating new compounds.  It is often used for metals, glass, and other like materials.

Crucibles have been used since the 15^th century.  Through the years, crucibles have created new alloys, and have made metals like silver and gold more durable to help the industrial revolution. Hopefully the use of one in present times can help find new ways to break down harmful substances that otherwise might infect the Earth or create new compounds that are safe for our health and the environment.  However, the word crucible has multiple definitions. 

Crucible also means "severe test" and "situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development" according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. We continue to test new ideas for the future, hoping to produce the best we can for ourselves and generations to come. we test new fuels for cars, new products made from recycled materials, natural energy sources, and inventions that save energy or are bio-degradable. Through this constant testing and concern for the Earth's condition we are going through a time of change and development.

We, as a community, are also going through a struggle to preserve the earth and reverse the damages we have already caused. We continue to hear about new studies that show how global warming is hurting life forms, like the polar bear, and could ultimately kill our earth. New ideas and methods to stop the spread of harmful chemicals into nature as well as the ability to break down chemicals to safely dispose of them is a high priority. Places like the Environmental Health & Safety Services Building right here on our campus, focuses on this very goal.

Also the movement to use re-usable water bottles has been a hot issue. It not only reduces the millions of plastic water bottles at landfills, which each take about 450 years to decompose according to Penn State University and the Ocean Conservancy, but it also contains no Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in many plastic products that new studies fear can cause breast or prostate cancer as well as other dangerous conditions.  If we use less of the disposable bottles and recycle the ones we do have, products like pens can be made out of the bottles; we can help reduce the waste that is accumulating on our planet.

These ideas are just a few that have been created to enrich our life and preserve and rebuild our planet for all who dwell in it. Companies whose motivation is to break down harmful chemicals, or invent new ones that will be more environmental friendly to take the place of material that is not (like Styrofoam which never decomposes), are a great drive in this movement. Crucible represents those initiatives.  In the future, I hope the goals of the green movement will continue to help us in our search for better production methods, disposal systems, and a healthier way of life. However, these goals can only be met when everyone on this planet takes responsibility for their own actions and do the steps in order to save the Earth.

-By Emily Van Nostrand

Conversations by Christian Petersen

At the beginning of every semester, swarms of college students rush in to their new living quarters on campus. Students from all over the world and from every walk of life are mingled together.  Activities and sister-brother floors are arranged for the students as they settle in to this new lifestyle. Close living spaces and group activities encourage people to talk and get to know one another. Small talk turns to conversations and conversations turn to bonding and relationships.

This special opportunity, that seems to only appear in college, is highlighted in Christian Petersen’s Conversations.  Nestled in the center of a residential area of campus, this sculpture is there for all the students to see and relate to. A long brick ledge is stretched in front of the entrance of Oak-Elm. In three separate sections of the low wall, limestone figures speak of the three types of relationships a college student makes during their time at college: friendships, romantic relationships, and a relationship with one’s self.

The three females at the far left speak of friendship. The girls seem to be hanging out like any college student would. You can imagine the girls are real. Leaning, sitting and lying on the low wall in the sun, as one reads out loud from a book.  They are talking and laughing with each other about the book or about the latest gossip. Each female figure has their own book, representing how each person brings what they know and feel to any friendship. Through conversations and spending time together, we learn about each other and teach others about ourselves in return. With these relationships, the college experience is enhanced and the friendships can last a lifetime.

Moving to the middle, these two figures tell romance. The male figure is without a shirt and the female figure is leaning quite close to him, almost leaning her head on his shoulders. That alone was a strong message back in the time the sculpture was made (1947-1955).The way the figures are turned and facing the other side of the wall shows that they want privacy for an intimate moment.  Many students come to college and meet someone that they connect with on the intimate level and possible start a long term relationship. These relationships are important because they allow us to grow and learn together, represented by the sculptures leaning over one book. This relationship teaches us to compromise and share our thoughts, feelings and lives with another person.  For some this relationship will lead toward marriage.

Lastly at the far right of the wall is a lone figure. She is facing into nothing, as she is thinking and contemplating her future. This sculpture is about the conversation we must have within ourselves. This is the time we have to figure out who we are and who we want to be, and ignore the pressures of what other people want us to be. This is the most important relationship, for you have to be there for yourself no matter what. This figure is holding a rose, not a book like the other figures. This small detail is emphasizing that the learning in this relationship is not external but internal; once it is figured out the person blooms into the person you truly are and are meant to be.  

-By Emily Van Nostrand