Initial Reaction

When I first saw Mindseye by Mark di Suvero my immediate thought was damage. There’s a circular metal band surrounding a jumble of metal pieces in various shapes and one distinct metal eye. However, the wiring that’s intended to suspend the jumble of metal to the top of the circular band is fraying and breaking. After looking at original pictures of how secure the wire was, I wonder how long this sculpture can maintain its suspension. Moving on, none of the metal surfaces appear smooth. There’s cracks, chips, and almost dents in the craftsmanship. Some patches of the metal are chipped and rusted. All this, in combination with the subject matter and the location of the sculpture evoke some incredible emotions and thought. The eye for example, seems completely out of place next to the assortment of metal pieces. They lack shape and purpose, while the eye is the apparent subject. It looks to have defined, detailed edges and intricacies that aren’t present in the rest of the sculpture. It seems fitting with the title being “Mindseye.” I think it was a conscious decision by the author to visually distinguish the eye from the rest of the sculpture – perhaps to symbolize mental clarity and clairvoyance with the way the eye juts out from the mess of metal chunks.

With “mind” also in the title, there’s no wonder that this sculpture was placed in the Wilson Library. As an institution for learning, this seems like the perfect venue for a sculpture about the mind’s eye. Sitting at the top of the spiral staircase and in front of a window adds a prestigious ambiance to this sculpture. Mark di Suvero’s sculptures are typically are these massive outdoor structure’s (like Western’s For Handle) which makes the scenery for this sculpture all the more significant. This sculpture seems more like a testament to knowledge considering its location in Haggard.  Suvero’s use of location with his sculptures is intriguing and I feel compelled to learn more about his style. What almost resembles a human head of iron with a distinct eye in a library certainly inspires thoughts of knowledge, learning, visionary work etc. My gut reaction to this piece would have to be clairvoyance and the inspiration for a clear-headed future.

Background

Mark di Suvero was born in Shanghai in 1933, but immigrated to the US in 1941 after tensions rose during World War II. He began sculpting in college at UC Santa Barbara, then moved to New York after obtaining a B.A. from Cal Berkeley. It was there he worked part-time in construction and held exhibitions for his art at local galleries. His early sculptures were large outdoor structures that were made of various pieces of construction scrap, which is a style that eventually shifted towards large metal H-beams and steel plates of Poland (1966) and For Handel (1975).

In protest of the Vietnam War, di Suvero left the United States to exhibit his art in England and Germany. Upon his return, di Suvero set up a new studio in California before creating Mindseye in 1978. He certainly drew inspiration from his time in Europe as well as the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. The expressionist sculptor has been praised for his ability to engage the viewer with moving parts, which can be seen in the mobile circular center of Mindseye. This allows di Suvero to achieve an all-seeing eye effect with this sculpture. Unfortunately, the wiring used to suspend the centerpiece has started to fray and snap over time. This is a testament to di Suvero’s commitment to using leftover construction scraps and pieces.

Works Cited

Clark-Langager, S., Sculpture in Place: A Campus as Site. Western Washington University, 2002.

Farr, Sheila. “Beautiful Burden.” The Seattle Times, 14 July 2005. Web. 07 Feb. 2017.

“Mark Di Suvero Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works.” The Art Story. The Art Story Foundation, 03 May 2005. Web. 7 Feb. 2017.

“Western Gallery.” Western Washington University, 12 July 2013. Web. 08 Feb. 2017.

Research and Photography – Evan O’Neill