Bright red and 27 feet tall, For Handel by Mark di Suvero is one of the most eye-catching works in Western’s sculpture collection. The sculpture has a sense of innocence in the way it appears almost like an abstract playground. With its proximity to the Performing Arts building, it could be considered a tribute to the playfulness and childlike experimentation involved with creating music. The action-based way that Mark di Suvero built this sculpture also reflects the way music is made with movement and emotion. For Handel seems to serve as a bridge between visual arts and performing arts.
Mark di Suvero is known for his “knowledge of music and sensitivity to the relationship of art and architecture” which led him to construct this “soaring sculpture dedicated to the composer George Frederic Handel” (Western Gallery). The artist’s original intent of connecting his art to music as a dedication to Handel is also shown in this sculpture also by the way it rises to the top of the rehearsal hall on campus. He wanted to connect the beauty of visible art with the beauty of musical art.
Artist Background
https://goo.gl/images/ZnmDGM
Mark di Suvero was born in Shanghai, China, in 1933. He immigrated to the United States in 1941, where he earned his BA in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkley. Since he began showing his sculptures in the 1950s, his art has been shown in more than 100 museums and public collections in many different countries. Suvero was an activist as well as an artist, and worked toward peace, social justice, and helping other artists. He protested the Vietnam War in 1966 by creating the 55-foot Peace Tower, and then leaving the United States for a few years. He has received a number of awards for his work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in Contemporary Sculpture from the International Sculpture Center, the Heinz Award for Arts and Humanities, the Smithsonian Archives of American Art Medal, the National Medal of the Arts, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for Sculpture.
Mark di Suvero is also known for many other similar looking sculptures across over 100 museums and public collections, including La Vie de Formes in France, and Old Glory in Socrates Sculpture Park. He has done a lot of work to support other artists: “In 1962, he co-founded Park Place Gallery, the first artists’ cooperative in New York City. In 1977, he established the Athena Foundation to assist artists to realize their ambitions. In 1986, he established Socrates Sculpture Park at the site of a landfill on the East River in Queens, New York. Through his leadership, a 4.5 acre parcel was transformed by a coalition of artists and community members into an open studio and exhibition space. To date, the park has hosted the work of over 900 artists.”
For Handel
For Handel was built in 1975, using industrial steel I-beams in the massive architectural style that Suvero is known for. Influences of the post-WWII abstract expressionist movement can be seen in his work, including their large scale, lack of a clear focal point, and ability to convey emotion in a non-objective way. Perhaps it’s closest link to the abstract expressionist movement or New York School is its action-based creation; Suvero constructed the piece himself using cranes, welding, and other techniques that seem to emphasize movement over original concept. It is interactive like the other sculptures on Western’s campus, and is considered an action piece. Using the beams and color the way he did, he created a statement all while appreciating the artistry of the composer George Frederic Handel.
Created By:
Jane Shallcross and Brynne O’Donnell
References:
“About the Artist.” Mark Di Suvero. Spacetime C.C., 2016. Web.
“Handel – The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.” SoundCloud. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016. <https:/soundcloud.com/user952879662/handel-the-arrival-of-the-queen-of-sheba>.
“Mark Di Suvero.” Storm King Art Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2016.
“Western Gallery.” Western Gallery. N.p., n.d. Web 09 Oct. 2016
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