Peter Flanary is the artist chosen to create the sculpture for the newly renovated Chamberlin Hall.
Peter grew up in the Milwaukee area and has had a lifelong ambition to work as an artist. Most days, he is in his studio in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. He also is a part-time lecturer in the Art Department at UW-Madison. For Peter the creation process is not always direct; he tries to grasp the space in its complexity and wants to create something that can be remarked on by people. He starts working with a form – in the case of this project, a paper ring – and proceeds to bend and fold it, finally creating an undulating wave form which is conceived into the final sculpture, a bronze metal with granite stones. Granite, a glacial stone, comes from the earth from a variety of strata. He called this “poetics in a Whitman-esque way.” He likes material and form and works to have his piece support and work in its environment, growing out of, rather than intruding into, the landscape. His choices of bronze and stone will outlast all of us, and it will serve as a joining of the physical sciences and art, an icon for the new Department of Physics home, Chamberlin Hall.
His choice of materials is the choice often used for maritime objects, items that survive all, emitting an ageless quality and infinite longevity.
His sculpture – “Wave” – was installed the week of June 6, 2005.
The following photo gallery shows the process from start to end. If you click on any of the thumbnail images, an enlarged view will open in a new window. Close the new window to return to the thumbnail views.
Photos by Jim Hanesworth
Text is excerpted, in part, from The Wisconsin Physicist v.11 no.1