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September Issue 2004
Clemson University in Clemson, SC, Dedicates New Public Art
A public dedication of the newest artwork commissioned by the Clemson University Art Partnership Program will take place at 5pm on Sept. 10, 2004, in Hardin Hall, the recently renovated historical building that is home to the Department of History and the Department of Philosophy and Religion.
The art titled, Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny, is comprised of two rows of 42 unique earthenware tiles which depict a wide range of images, textures, colors, and ideas, and is the work of Kathy Triplett, a nationally recognized ceramic artists from Asheville, NC. The art is located along an elegant 60-foot curved wall just inside the entrance of the building. "Each tile offers information relating to the history of learning and the history of Clemson University," says Triplett, who visited campus several times. While in Clemson, Triplett spoke with students, faculty and others digesting some of the important characteristics, which define Clemson University as an institution.
"From Pythagoras, Hegel, foreign languages, early military uniforms, agricultural research, the first black students, and sports, to current research on fire ants and textiles, as well as the abundance of trees on campus, the tiles cover a plethora of ideas that appeal to me, specifically, in a sculptural sense," says Triplett. "Some tiles are obvious in their representation; tiger eyes, for example, whereas others are more elusive, such as the small altar, which represents the Department of Philosophy and Religion located in Hardin Hall."
Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny is the result of a partnership between Department of Art and the Lee Gallery working in collaboration with the Department of History and the Department of Philosophy and Religion in their search to find just the right art to display in Harden Hall. "Kathy was selected from a regional pool of artists who submitted proposals for the project," says Denise Woodward Detrich, who coordinates the university's Arts Partnership Program.
Triplett has received national critical acclaim for her earthenware tiles and is the author of several books on contemporary ceramics. "The title, Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny is inspired by the idea of the single cell and how it progresses to a complex organism," Triplett explains. "As it develops, it marches through the path it took through evolution. As an example, one can still find vestiges of undeveloped gills in humans. I used this idea of progression as a metaphor to represent the development and evolution of the university, from the initial spark of an idea in Thomas Green Clemson's mind, through its expansion, diversification, and growth into a complex and more open institution. This growth, in many ways, is like the growth of the individual student. As he or she progresses through the path of learning that the university offers, and becomes gradually changed by the experience, the student becomes more complex, developed, and hopefully, more open to change and all the new experiences that life brings."
The Art Partnership program works to integrate public art into the fabric of Clemson University by matching artists with students, academic, and administrative programs to create site-specific artworks in public places across campus. Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny is the seventh piece in Clemson University's site-specific public art collection. The dedication is free and open to the public. Speakers will include Janice Schach, dean of the College of Architecture, Arts, and Humanities, Clemson Board of Trustee member Patti McAbee, who also serves as the president of Friends of Lee Gallery, and Kathy Triplett. Light refreshments will be served.
For more information about public art at Clemson University, visit the Art Partnership Program website at (www.clemson.edu/caah/leegallery/art_partnership.htm) or contact Denise Woodward-Detrich, Director Lee Gallery, at 864/656-3883 or e-mail at (woodwaw@clemson.edu).
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