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