Background Information

As a first-time visitor leaving the Viking Union and going onto the plaza, at first glance, one may think the artwork on display is the view of Bellingham Bay. A few steps out the door, however, they discover works of art on either side of them. The difference is that one is natural and the other consists of bright red metal beams reaching into the sky, joining together at the top, fitting the location almost as naturally as the view does. This sculpture is a product of thw 1970s “percent-for-art” laws, which means that part of government property had to be reserved for art, resulting in the broad collection of sculptures on our campus. Many artists during this time were working on ways to combine art and landscape. Di Suvero successfully combined art and landscape because many take this piece for granted due to how perfectly it fits into the location.

Artist Background

Di Suvero was born in China on September 18, 1933 and immigrated to San Francisco, California in 1941 after World War II. He thrived in his college sculpting course and after graduating, he began to pursue a career in sculpting art. His part-time job in construction allowed him to incorporate leftover materials from demolition sites, such as scrap metal and timbers. Di Suvero often included aspects that could pivot or swing. For Handel fits right in with this description considering it is made of large steel beams and originally had a swing in the center but was removed due to safety regulations.

Group Statement

Di Suvero’s vision with For Handel was to blend his knowledge of architecture and music. With our video, we accomplished something similar by meshing the sculpture’s visual interpretation with its auditory influence. For Handel’s name is as straightforward as it sounds—it is for Handel. Dedicated to the composer George Frederic Handel, it is no coincidence that the artwork sits atop sound proof music practice rooms and is adjacent to the Performing Arts Center. In an interview published in Clark-Langager’s, “Sculpture in Place; A Campus as Site”, Di Suvero stated that he “tried to give the sculpture a little bit of that inspirational movement that Handel’s music has,” Many experience the artwork listening to the hustle and bustle of college students around them, but with our video, viewers are given the opportunity to experience the artwork and its inspiration at the same time.

Created by:

Matthew Seemann
Eva Waltz

Bibliography

  1. “Mark Di Suvero.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Feb. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_di_Suvero.
  2. “Western Washington University.” Western Gallery, westerngallery.wwu.edu/sculpture/handel.
  3. Clark-Langager, Sarah. Sculpture in Place a Campus as Site. Western Washington University, 2002.
  4. Farr, Sheila. “Beautiful Burden.” The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times Company, 14 July 2005, www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/beautiful-burden/.