University of Saint Joseph’s Art Museum Sheds Light on Campus Sculptures
Written by Sam Turgeon
On September 15, University of Saint Joseph’s Art Museum premiered a new exhibit, Exploring Process: Nine Contemporary Sculptors. Exploring Process details the artistic techniques utilized by the artists behind USJ’s campus sculptures. The exhibit contains maquettes for some of USJ’s sculptures, as well as additional works from the sculptors. The following article contains images and descriptions of some of my personal favorite pieces, but I highly recommend taking a stroll through the art museum to see the sculptures for yourself.
Jonathan Waters
Jonathan Waters is responsible for two gorgeous sculptures on campus, Looking In Looking Out and Deuces. Maquettes for each of these sculptures are present in the Exploring Process exhibit. The brief biographical information provided by the art museum explains that Waters enjoys working in a variety of different mediums and is particularly attracted to the shift from two dimensional to three dimensional visuals. His steel sculptures are designed to embrace the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, reflecting the impact that the passing of time can have on an object.
Justin Perlman
Justin Perlman is the creator behind Winter, the crane-like sculpture located near USJ’s West Gate. Studies for Winter and other works are available in the Exploring Process exhibit, as well as two other beautiful sculptures: Better Angels and Europa. Europa is a wondrous work of bronze, complete with fine detail work. Perlman’s biography explains that he loves to sculpt with a variety of materials, ranging from wood to metal and clay. He firmly believes that art is a dynamic language and is interested in exploring the gestural nature of the human form.
Joe Gitterman
Joe Gitterman contributed On Point 8 and On Point 10 to USJ’s campus, two elegant sculptures that are located right outside of the Bruyette Athenaeum. Three similar sculptures are included in the exhibit, including Orange 3, which is pictured above. Gitterman is heavily inspired by ballet and modern dance and attempts to convey “single frame[s] of motion” through his sculptures.
Joy Brown
Joy Brown is the genius behind Figure Holding Bowl, located outside of Mercy Hall. Exploring Processes includes three contributions from Brown, all constructed out of wood-fired clay. Two equally-adorable ceramic pieces are on display, titled Animal and Sitter Leaning Forward. Brown utilizes the “coil, pinch, and paddle” method when constructing her clay creations, continuously adding coils to an initial shape and pressing the coils down into a singular piece. In addition to the clay works on display, Brown also creates monumental sculptures in bronze, photos of which are on display in the exhibit.
Exploring Processes: Nine Contemporary Sculptors illuminates the origins of the artwork located on campus. The artwork brings a spectacular life and beauty to USJ, and the Exploring Processes exhibit is a wonderful way to commend the artists behind these spectacular pieces.
The featured sculptors can be found online through the following:
Joy Brown: @joybrownstudio (Instagram) and joybrownstudio.com (Website)
Joe Gitterman: @joegittermansculpture (Instagram)
David Hayes: @david_m_hayes (Instagram) and davidhayes.com (Website)
Peter Kirkiles: @kirkiles (Instagram) and peterkirkiles.com (Website)
Ann Mallory: @ann.mallory.art (Instagram) and annmallory.com (Website)
Francis Patnaude: francistpatnaude.com (Website)
Justin Perlman: @sculptjustin (Instagram) and jpsculpture.com (Website)
David Skora: davidskora.com (Website)
Jonathan Waters: @jonathanwaters8 (Instagram)
If this article interested you, experience the related sculpture audio tour with Otocast. Information on the audio tour can be found here.
