Sculpture at Wichita State University

"Shockers" by Tom Otterness (2019)

The NCAA Basketball Tournament is an event I look forward to every year. Given my Kansas roots, I cheer for the Wichita State Shockers whenever they make it to the Tourney. Not being up on my farming terminology, I always thought they got their name from people being shocked they could play some serious ball. Silly me. It turns out that "shocking hay" means gathering the grain into bundles for the winter. It requires hard work and dedication, which I guess makes it an appropriate name for Wichita State's sports teams. 

This is a long introduction into what might have been my favorite work at the Martin M. Bush Sculpture Garden on Wichita State's campus -- "Shockers" by Tom Otterness. I'm familiar with Otterness' signature style of bronze figures with round heads and bodies to match, so I was surprised to learn he had created this work made primarily of hay. (When I showed a picture of the sculpture to my rancher cousins, their immediate question was how the hay is preserved. The sculpture has to be "re-hayed" annually.)  "Shockers" was commissioned for Wichita State after Otterness' other hay sculpture -- "Makin' Hay" -- left the campus after having been on loan for two years. The concept is just too perfect not to include in the Sculpture Garden's permanent collection. To see "Makin' Hay," click here. To see Otterness' signature style (on display in his "Life Underground" works at the Eighth Avenue and 14th St. subway stop in NY), click here. (Note to self: Check it out next time I'm in New York.) And to learn more about the artist, click here. 

"Accord Final" by Arman (1981)

Speaking of shocking, I was taken aback when I saw Arman's "Accord Final."  Yes, this is an actual grand piano whose broken parts have been cast in bronze. The interior of "Accord Final" includes the name of the piano maker -- "Gilbert -- France." When the work was on display at the Smithsonian's American Art Museum, the tagline "They Won't Let Me Play at Carnegie Hall" was included. "Accord Final" was part of a series of 12 broken instruments known as "Arman's Orchestra." 

Arman worked in a variety of mediums, but he is best known for his sculptural accumulations, destruction/recomposition of objects and poubelles (or trash bins -- the artist was born in France). While his work bears no resemblance to that of Vincent Van Gogh, Arman was a big fan. In fact, he began signing his works with only his first name -- "Armand" -- in homage to Van Gogh's practice. If you have a keen eye, you might have noticed a "d" in the original signature. An early review of Arman's work left out the "d" in his name, and he adopted that version for his public persona. 

"Tres Mujeres Cominando"
by Francisco Zuniga (1981)

Then there was Francisco Zuniga's "Tres Mujeres Caminando" or "Three Women Walking." Zuniga was a Costa Rican-born Mexican artist who took inspiration from the German Expressionists and sculptor Auguste Rodin. (Talk about disparate influences!) Both of his parents were sculptors, and his art education began early. By the time he was 12, he had devoured books on art history and anatomy and Renaissance artists. At 15 he began working on his craft in his father's shop.  

Zuniga worked primarily in bronze and stone. At the end of his life, he was nearly blind and turned to terra cotta as his medium so he could sculpt by feel. His statues often have an almost unfinished pre-Colombian feel. Not so with these women. I love the attitude with which they strut their stuff. And there's that look the one woman is giving over her shoulder. What's that about? Is it disdain for the younger woman walking away? Did something nearby catch her attention? It's up to the viewer to come away with her own story. 

"Woman with an Umbrella" and
"Man with a Cane" by Fernando Botero

I had to resist running across a square to Fernando Botero's "Woman with Umbrella" and "Man with Cane" when I first spied them.  (I kid you not. I was on the phone with my sister and became totally distracted. I had to go to my car for a time-out since I knew I wouldn't be able to look at these and have a conversation at the same time.) 

Botero's figures are not exactly svelte. Even his non-human figures take on a marked rotundity. But Botero views his creations as having "volume" rather than being fat. And he sees a distinct sensuality in the curving forms. It made sense to learn that his style got its start when he painted a mandolin with an undersized sound hole and liked the effect.  

While Botero's work generally leaves people with a happy feeling, that's not always the case. For a 14 month period, Botero's work focused on his response to the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. These drawings and paintings are hard to look at. While you have no problem identifying them as having been created by Botero, there's nothing about them that will make you smile. To see the series, click here. 

To see more of Botero's works and learn about his fascinating life, click here. One particularly crazy fact: the artist has multiple residences, with each location being dedicated to a different medium. When he's creating sculpture, for instance, he heads to Tuscany. If he's painting large oil works, you'll find him in Paris. It must be quite the dilemma when the creative urge strikes and he finds himself in the wrong country. 

"Personnages Oiseaux (Bird People) 
by Joan Miro (1978)

While off the topic of sculptures, I'd be remiss if I didn't share the glass and marble mosaic marble created by Joan Miro for the University. It is made of 350,000 individual pieces of colored glass and stone. In case you can't tell, this mosaic depicts multiple birds. When asked about his frequent use of birds in his work, Miro said, "A human being is like a tree, planted in the ground. Birds fly into space--they carry us away, off the ground into higher things, into the world of fantasy and imagination that is not earthbound." What a perfect inspiration for Wichita State's students and educators. 

If you find yourself in the Wichita area, do not miss the Sculpture Garden at Wichita State. I was there 2-1/2 hours and still didn't see all 81 of the sculptures. For more info, click here.