What first come to your mind when talking about art? Cavernous museums in metropolitan areas. Chic galleries in up-and-coming neighborhoods. But how many of you think college campus?
On Purdue’s campus in West Lafayette, there are various real works of art by noted sculptors. Some of them were commissioned in memory of the great ancestors who had contributions to Purdue; some of them were created to showcase university strengths. But regardless of, all were carved with a lot of thoughts from the sculptors.
More than 15 sculptures dot Purdue’s massive campus. Here are three of my favorites:
- Distant Paths
Walking around Loeb Fountain near Beering Hall, you can see a bronze statue that consists of four people looking at different directions on a bow. Distant Paths, a sculpture by Preston Jackson, aims to capture the diversity of students’ ongoing journeys.
The bronze and stainless steel sculpture, which is approximately 13 feet long, 8 feet wide and 14 feet high, features four people from different parts of the world. This was inspired by Jackson’s own cultural immigration experience as an African American.
Preston Jackson came from the small city of Decatur, Illinois. He became an artist at an early age. In his artwork, he always intended to deliver information to the world about who we are, where we come from, and where we will be heading. In 1998 he was chosen a Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, the highest honor given to individuals in the state. In 2018 he was voted one of the best Illinois artists of all time. Now he owns The Raven Gallery, home of the Contemporary Art Center in Peoria, Illinois.
One of Jackson’s most famous artworks was a traveling sculpture exhibition named “Fresh from Julieanne’s Garden,” which featured more than 100 unique bronze castings of people of color telling fictionalized stories of their lives from the 17th through 20th centuries.
“We liked much of his previous work and so we decided to commission Distant Paths,” said Harry Bulow, head of Rueff School of Visual and Performing Arts at Purdue University. “I think the main reason we commissioned the work was the fact that his previous sculptures were so dynamic and expressive. His work has a lot of charisma.”
Jackson said at the time he wanted people to see a oneness in humanity and human experience in Distant Paths. He wanted people to see a oneness in humanity and human experience.
The sculpture was installed on the Purdue campus in April 2014 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the College of Liberal Arts.
2. Brickheads
Two monumental Brickhead sculptures face one another are standing in front of Pao Hall. Their eyes are closed. When I walked by, sounds begin to erupt. I didn’t recognize all of them but I heard birds calling and insects buzzing.
This ‘biophone’ of sound, recorded over several days in May 2008, was reconstructed within the architecture of the sculptures. The statues use motion sensor technology to control the sounds.
This incredible artwork was created by James Tyler. He likes to use architectural red clay or buff stoneware in his works, which are both common materials in the use of outside ornamentation. Those bricks were covered with a natural ceramic finish. During the firing process, color changes occurred. On average, the bricks were three-inches in thickness, and were assembled with stainless steel pins. This made them heavy, but also extremely durable.
As a sculptor, Tyler is best known for this Brickhead series, which are all unique colossal heads that invite people to identify with the world’s ceramic heritages. The Brickhead series brought cultures from today together with pre-Columbian, South American, Native American, Asian, African, and Western influences. However, they were carved contemporarily, showing that relics of a civilization have not yet faded away. The heads were stylized portraits of both men and women. They were universal but unique as individuals. Tyler’s work had been exhibited across the United States and he was appointed the first Executive Director of the GAGA Arts Center in 2006.
“Brickhead Conversations” was dedicated to Purdue University in September 2013.
3.Transformation
Installed on the south of campus in 2002, the 40-foot bronze Transformation was the very first commissioned work of the Spanish sculptor Faustino Aizkorbe.
Faustino Aizkorbe was born in Olloki, Navarra, 1948. In the 1980s, he became one of Navarra’s most valuable young creators. As he gained great international recognition, his art was exhibited in Germany, France, Japan, Switzerland, Venezuela, Argentina and the United States.
Before creating and installing Transformation, Aizkorbe visited Purdue twice to meet with students, faculty, and the class of 1952. He returned a third time to help oversee the installation process. Aizkorbe said at the time the campus architecture inspired him while creating Transformation.
Transformation was based on the architectural pillars of Aizkorbe’s home country, but it also incorporated an organic type of movement that symbolized Purdue’s continual growth and development. Along with the new Visual and Performing Arts building, the bronze sculpture helped define the southern end of the Purdue campus.
There’s no need to pay an entrance fee and fight crowds inside if you feel like viewing some art. Stop at Purdue University in West Lafayette to discover these and other unique sculptures as you enjoy a campus stroll.
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