Purdue University North Central


FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY: Five Sculptors Face the Art
Sculptors' Comments

JOHN ADDUCI (Odysseus)
"I was going through a particularly difficult time personally, and I felt as though I was on a raft fighting to keep my balance. I definitely identified the figure as Odysseus the Greek traveler. I purposely left the facial features — really a mask — ambiguous. What I went through, could happen to anyone. You just have to gather your strengths and move forward. All of my work is autobiographical — I just sculpt what I know."

TIM CURTIS (Lick)
"Lick is inspired by my interest in the structure of sound — in this case — symbolized by the neck of a guitar, presumably engaged in a "rif" or "lick" (as it is called in heavy metal music). Kids think Lick is a lizard. That's fine, too."

MICHELLE GOLDSTROM (Here and There)
"I cross Indiana often to visit my mother in my hometown, Toledo. This piece is the landscape I see. It's a hybrid of the industrial and agricultural, the urban and the rural, which increasingly reflects reality. But it is inviting, ultimately."

S. THOMAS SCARFF (Rainbow Flyer)
"The seed of the concept for Rainbow Flyer was to pose a challenge to the senses — that you can fly through a rainbow, and simultaneously see it— which you can't. A rainbow is a wonderful natural phenomenon. This piece represents technology humbly approaching nature."

(The Church Street Project ©S. Thomas Scarff, as yet unrealized)
Enhancing A Parking Garage in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois, sets aside funds to enhance new construction — like parking garages. The Church Street project is an example of a concept brought to presentation level. The work combines a major sculptural form, suggesting the fine arts, which was requested by the art committee; lighting is a major part of the impact yet it need to be subtle. The garage, unfortunately was designed before the sculptors were asked for their input. To a great degree, the site-specifications drove the design.

(Read ©S. Thomas Scarff, as yet unrealized)
Another example of a concept presentation is one I did for a fountain. It could be envisioned at a place like the Michigan City Public Library at 4th and Franklin. I would still love to do this project. It looks like the mast of the ship. It would also function as a sculptural information vehicle. It bears the simple message, "READ" which could be changed. This water column could also provide a beautiful basis for a more extensive design.

MIKE YOUNG (Night Landing)
"Night Landing is my abstraction of a city as I approach it in a plane after dark. Its grid-like quality is a reduction, a minimalist view of that city — which is, in reality, a complex organism. The nighttime setting is indicative of modernity, which has brought both good and chaos."

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Created: October 2000