WP3 Final Draft

Author's Note

When revising this paper from my original rough draft to the final product I looked into adding onto what was already in my paper. I knew the ideas I already had where the one's I wanted to keep but I just had to go into more detail getting across the argument and the historic context of the sculpture. I first started by adding "Sunken-relief, also known as intaglio or hollow-relief, is where the image is made by carving into a flat surface - usually the images are mostly linear in nature. It is most notably associated with the Art of Ancient Egypt, where the strong sunlight usually needed to make the technique successful for images is present most of the time." This information helped me to create a better paper because I went into more detail on the history of the sculpture and the technique in which Schmidt used in creating his work. I then started talking about lighting and how it had a great impact on this sculpture and the way it is viewed. This shadowing makes the pathos for the sculpture. I also noticed I had grammar errors which needed to be fixed so I went through and fixed all of them.

I then went into more detail on the viewing of the sculpture and how it is changed by the environment and the time that it is viewed at "This artwork needs to be seen in full light to best see the intended contours and details. That is why depending on the time of year and time of day the viewing of the sculpture can be relatively different. This ever changing movement of the sun creates the pathos in which a person feels for the object at any given time. "I felt that this paragraph strengthened my argument and overall paper. I also made some minor changes from the peer reviews done on Thursday; this helped me because it gave me a different outlook on my sculpture. I changed the the conclusion so as to better answer the so what "Schmidt creates an array of ever changing looks by just using the material he did and placing it in the environment, letting nature to forever finish the sculpting longer than he ever could. Schmidt created this sculpture to be a sunken relief to again aid in changing the viewing of the sculpture depending on the season and time of day, because light is needed to bring out the sculptures details." Changing this I feel will help my audience better understand my paper as a whole and what I want them to take away from it.

Some other minor changes I made around my paper included sentence structure and incorporating my links-so on. Some of my pictures in the rough draft I felt did not look very good when posted onto the blog page so I changed those up a little bit. This paper I feel turned out very well and I feel is my best work so far. I have begun to understand how these projects are formed through argument and rhetoric.

WP3 Rough Draft 1

Statement of Purpose

This Sculpture which was created by Julius Schmidt and was given the name "Untitled Relief”. Schmidt who is an American sculptor born in 1923 creates many pieces like this one with used industrial material. This sculpture which was made in 1961 depicts an iron relief sculpture. A relief is a sculptured artwork where a modeled form is raised, or, in a sunken-relief, lowered, from a plane from which the main elements of the composition project; reliefs are common throughout the world, for example on the walls of monumental buildings. This sculpture depicts "Sunken-relief, also known as intaglio or hollow-relief, is where the image is made by carving into a flat surface - usually the images are mostly linear in nature. It is most notably associated with the Art of Ancient Egypt, where the strong sunlight usually needed to make the technique successful for images is present most of the time."(wiki) As said above sunlight plays a very important role in projection of sunken Relief sculptures. Schmidt had to take this into account when creating the sculpture. When viewing this sculpture there are many different aspects to consider like the context, environmental weathering, and intended audience. Since this sculpture's name is "Untitled" it leaves much room for the audience to infer about the sculptures meaning. Schmidt left this sculpture untitled so the audience could bring their own meaning to the sculpture instead of drawing the meaning from the title. A lot of how this sculpture is viewed is determined by its location on the busy university campus.

In this sculpture there are many types of context; one type of context that is very abundant is aesthetical context. It can be seen everywhere in this piece, mainly from its many shapes and dim colors. The common shapes seen in this sculpture are square or rectangles and circular/dome shapes. These shapes have almost no pattern but you are drawn into a visual hierarchy in three separate spots throughout the piece. These spots all depict a larger boxed in dome or circle that add to the sculptures abstract look. The overall aesthetical look of the sculpture depicts what looks to be a circuit board or futuristic city. I think Schmidt depicts the sculpture to look futuristic because iron is the building block of the future. "Iron is the most widely used of all the metals, accounting for 95% of worldwide metal production. Its low cost and high strength make it indispensable in engineering applications such as the construction of machinery and machine tools, automobiles, the hulls of large ships, and structural components for buildings"(Wiki). Knowing that iron is used in so much industrial buildings is probably why Schmidt created his futuristic landscape out of iron. This might also be the reasoning behind Schmidt making this a relief sculpture. He takes what a normal relief sculpture is made of, which happens to be clay or stone and is generally seen on ancient buildings or churches/cathedrals. He then modernizes the typical relief sculpture by using the now common building material iron, and in this case it is iron scraps from industrial buildings. This creates his argument, which is changing the fundamental way of creating a relief sculpture into his modernized version.

The fact that this sculpture is made out of iron and rest in the environment where it is exposed to the elements plays a key role in this sculpture. "Pure iron is a metal but is rarely found in this form on the surface of the earth because it oxidizes readily in the presence of oxygen and moisture"(Wiki). Well when this sculpture was presented to nature it was exposed to moisture which caused it to oxidize and create its rusted appearance we see before us today. This was not the way it looked astatically when first created by Schmidt. With this said it is apparent that the sculpting process is still at work. Schmidt who originally created this piece knew it was going to be exposed to the elements and change from its original look. There is a medium in this sculpture between it being sculpted by Schmidt, then again by nature. With this weathering occurring daily and the aesthetic changes it’s receiving I think ties into why the sculpture is "Untitled". This because at any given time its look can change being exposed to the elements, making no reason to title it for it was not just created by Schmidt but also nature. Sculptures that rest in the outdoors can be perceived so differently from time to time, for instance if the sun faces your back as you look at this your body cast a shadow over the sculpture making it hard to see the details in the shadowed area. This artwork needs to be seen in full light to best see the intended contours and details. That is why depending on the time of year and time of day the viewing of the sculpture can be relatively different. This ever changing movement of the sun creates the pathos in which a person feels for the object at any given time.

When I first saw this object I felt as if it was somewhat secluded from a lot of the other art. It sits in a corner under a tree hanging on a wall. This sculpture adds character to the relatively blank concrete wall. This is what relief sculptures are made to do, they add texture, and emotion to structures that normally do not. It’s this pathos created in the corner by this relief sculpture that makes the area so much more interesting. The sculptures audience is limited because the only people who would ever see it are people passing by on their way to class or a visitor to the museum. I feel that this object being here in Nebraska in this cold winter climate would disrupt its audience because people would be less likely to view it in the cold winter. I feel though that Schmidt wanted to connect to an audience that likes abstract art work or art that likes to interpret things that do not have a set purpose. With this sculpture being on campus it is susceptible to a younger audience being that the general college student is fairly young.

When looking into this art piece it is apparent that Schmidt wanted to create a complex art sculpture that could be titled by anyone. This sculpture was made to depict iron and its use as a building tool along with its ever changing look. From the looks of it the sculpture was created to look futuristic and I think this is another reason Schmidt choose to use iron in the sculpture. Iron is the building block of the future as Schmidt correctly predicted, because as stated above 95% of metal used today is iron. Schmidt effectively used the context of the sculpture, the environment, and his intended audience to make "Untitled Relief", which creates pathos by enhancing a dull wall in the corner. Schmidt creates an array of ever changing looks by just using the material he did and placing it in the environment, letting nature to forever finish the sculpting longer than he ever could. Schmidt created this sculpture to be a sunken relief to again aid in changing the viewing of the sculpture depending on the season and time of day, because light is needed to bring out the sculptures details.

Works Cited

Wikipedia. (29 Nov 2009). Iron. Dec 7, 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron

Sculpture Brochure. Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2009. http://www.sheldonartgallery.org/photos/graphics/sculpturebrochure.pdf

WP3

This Sculpture which was created by Julius Schmidt and was given the name "Untitled Relief”. Schmidt who is an American sculptor born in 1923 creates many pieces like this one with used industrial material. This sculpture which was made in 1961 depicts an iron relief sculpture. A relief is a sculptured artwork where a modeled form is raised, or, in a sunken-relief, lowered, from a plane from which the main elements of the composition project; reliefs are common throughout the world, for example on the walls of monumental buildings. When viewing this sculpture there are many different aspects to consider like the context, environmental weathering, and intended audience. Since this sculpture's name is "Untitled" it leaves much room for the audience to infer about the sculptures meaning. Schmidt left this sculpture untitled so the audience could bring their own meaning to the sculpture instead of drawing the meaning from the title.

In this sculpture there are many types of context; one type of context that is very abundant is aesthetical context. It can be seen everywhere in this piece, mainly from its many shapes and dim colors. The common shapes seen in this sculpture are square or rectangles and circular/dome shapes. These shapes have almost no pattern but you are drawn into a visual hierarchy in three separate spots throughout the piece. These spots all depict a larger boxed in dome or circle that add to the sculptures abstract look. The overall aesthetical look of the sculpture depicts what looks to be a circuit board or futuristic city. I think Schmidt depicts the sculpture to look futuristic because iron is the building block of the future. "Iron is the most widely used of all the metals, accounting for 95% of worldwide metal production. Its low cost and high strength make it indispensable in engineering applications such as the construction of machinery and machine tools, automobiles, the hulls of large ships, and structural components for buildings"(Wiki). Knowing that iron is used in so much industrial buildings is probably why Schmidt created his futuristic landscape out of iron.

The fact that this sculpture is made out of iron and rest in the environment where it is exposed to the elements plays a key role in this sculpture. "Pure iron is a metal but is rarely found in this form on the surface of the earth because it oxidizes readily in the presence of oxygen and moisture"(Wiki). Well when this sculpture was presented to nature it was exposed to moisture which caused it to oxidize and create its rusted appearance we see before us today. This was not the way it looked astatically when first created by Schmidt. With this said it is apparent that the sculpting process is still at work. Schmidt who originally created this piece knew it was going to be exposed to the elements and change from its original look. There is a medium in this sculpture between it being sculpted by Schmidt, then again by nature. With this weathering occurring daily and the aesthetic changes its receiving I think ties into why the sculpture is "Untitled". This because at any given time its look can change being exposed to the elements, making no reason to title it for it was not just created by Schmidt but also nature.

When I first saw this object I felt as if it was somewhat secluded from a lot of the other art. It sits in a corner under a tree hanging from a wall. Its audience is limited because the only people who would ever see it are people passing by on their way to class or a visitor to the museum. I feel that this object being here in Nebraska in this cold winter climate would disrupt its audience because people would be less likely to view it in the cold winter. I feel though that Schmidt wanted to connect to an audience that likes abstract art work or art that likes to interpret things that do not have a set purpose. With this sculpture being on campus it is susceptible to a younger audience being that the general college student is fairly young.

When looking into this art piece it is apparent that Schmidt wanted to create a complex art sculpture that could be titled by anyone. This sculpture was made to depict iron and its use as a building tool along with its ever changing look. From the looks of it the sculpture was created to look futuristic and I think this is another reason Schmidt choose to use iron in the sculpture.

Works Cited

Wikipedia. (29 Nov 2009). Iron. Dec 7, 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron

Sculpture Brochure. Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2009. http://www.sheldonartgallery.org/photos/graphics/sculpturebrochure.pdf

Statement of purpose

This sculpture created by Julius Schmidt is a very interesting sculpture. It's title is Untitled Relief which gives you much to infer about its name. The word "Relief" which is a type of sculpting where a modelled form is raised, or, in a sunken-relief, lowered, from a plane from which the main elements of the composition project. when viewing this sculpture I think you need to take this into mind, schmidt wanted you to know this was a relief sculpture. Relief sculptures are often uesed to display a scene or send a message. In this case I think Schmidt wants you to take the message anyway you feel hence the name "Untitled" giving you the power to name this sculpture anyway you please. Schmidt who is a midwest sculpter likes to create pieces with used industrial metal like he did in this work. The sculpture which is made of iron has been weathered and changed from being outside in the elements. This the sculpter would have taken into thought knowing his sculpture would be displayed outside. Then the aspect of this sculpture changing from the elements acts as nature being a sculpter of the peice. There is a medium between the original sculpter and the natural sculpter, this piece is still being sculpted as we speak. By this i mean its color and look is ever changing because of the chemical process of the water meeting the iron. This says alot about the sculpture as it is never really done changing, it is constantly changing asteticaly in color and feature. A person who viewed this sculpture right after its completion would view this sculpture completly different now. If this sculpture had been left inside it would be a totaly different sculpture asteticaly.

When looking at this sculpture you must also look into all the different shapes and designs in the sculpture. There all few places of visual hiarchy when looking at this sculpture. There are three of these spots and they all depict large circles that dont really fit with the flow of the piece. The sculpture itself almost looks like a circit board or a futureistic city. This sculpture was made in 1961 which is far of from the time of a city scape like the one this piece could be dipicting. This whole piece is boxed in then inside the work there are more boxed in frames. It as if it is many little sculptures come together and make it whole.

"Untitled Relief" is a very deciving piece of work at first glance you must look into it more indepth before judging it. One might first look at it and say its just an abstract piece of metal hanging on the wall, but its not there is much more to it. It is an ever changing creation of man and nature that is there for anyone to view. A person can take in and understand the work however they like but you must first take its context into the equation before hand or else you can misjudge the work for what it is.

History of sculpture

My sculpture Untitled Relief which was created by the artist Julius Schmidt features an iron sculpture baked with sand then cast in iron. When I originally saw this work I thought it was welded together, now I know it was cast from iron. I also found out this work had been created from used scrap metal, a favorite sculpture tecnique used by Schmidt often. The sculpture was actually carved into black sand before the iron was poured. This I would not have guessed by looking at the object. Knowing that the sculpture was created from discarded industrial material changes my feeling towards the object. The art is basically reborn material, created into a sculpture. The technical aspect of this sculpture is way different than most, generally sculptures made of metal are not pored but welded in steps. This sculpture only has two steps, which are creating the design in the sand and pouring the iron. This sculpture was created in 1961 by schmidt who taught and worked in the midwest, I think that schmidt might of taken inspiration from the midwest in creating this object. I think that this object has strong ties to this area, that is why it remains here in Nebraska. Schmidt often uses durable material in his sculpture allowing the intricate composition to be realized.

Iron which this sculpture is framed from has a historical background which develops the history of this object. "Pure iron is a metal but is rarely found in this form on the surface of the earth because it oxidizes readily in the presence of oxygen and moisture. In order to obtain metallic iron, oxygen must be removed from naturally occurring ores by chemical reduction mainly of the iron ore hematite (Fe2O3) by carbon at high temperature. The properties of iron can be modified by alloying it with various other metals" (wiki) This sculpture is made from oxidized iron, that is why it has its rusted look from the weathering and moisture it recives outside. Iron is generally a building material and is not often thought of as art. But Schmidt loves to work with this kind of material. Iron has been used as a building material quite often in the industrial revolution in the 20th century. If you look at this sculpture you will see that a the chemical process of rusting has occured in the sculpture. Iron actually changed the human way of life, in history there is a period of time called the iron era. This time changed life because of all the benifits in the strengh of the material and its durability.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Age

My object Untitled Relieif which features a rectangle shaped object made of iron, that is posted on a wall like a picture. If you look at this object in the sense of what it represents I would say it recreates the idea of a picture or a painting. It brings the thought of a painting or picture into a new light. When one thinks of a painting they think of something you sit back and admire. I this case you can sit back and look at this object but also go up to it. You can feel this object and get to know it more than you would a painting. The sculpture has many different abstract designs and textures, something you cannot feel with a painting. This representation the sculpture has comes from its color and its look of a painting or picture which strays away from the norm of a sculpture. Most sculptures do not hang on a wall rather they rest on the ground and can be viewed from many different angles.

This sculpture as an art object is very unique, this because we can only see its face. Like i said above it goes against the norm of sculptures. Most sculptures are to be enjoyed as a three dimensional piece not hanging on a wall. This object is very abstract having no flow or pattern in its design. It is an intracate collaberation of many different designs which keep your eyes wandering as you examin it. To me this object looks like a circut board or a futureistic work of some sort. The object is made of iron which gives it the red rusted look the creator of the sculpture made this desision knowing it would face the elements and rust.

Then looking into this sculpture in the context of which it is in the environment sheds new light on the object. The sculpture sits in the corner of a wall next to the sheldon art museum. It is hard to recognize sitting on the wall next to a tree. I think this object being outside also goes with the statement I made about it going against the norm. This because it sits outside of the museum going against the everyday elements, which have turned it to a rusted red color. This sculpture which looks like a painting can stand against the elements unlike a painting or some sculptures you would see inside a museum. This piece being outside makes it visable to people passing by, these people which normally would not of seen the object had it been inside. I think that this sculpture being outside changes the way people view it. Other things come into play to in the winter people are less likely to be outside which can cause people to not see the sculpture.