Empire Towers
Encyclopedia
Empire Towers is a public artwork
by sculptor R.M. Fischer. It currently resides on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center
Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
. It is on loan from the Carl Solway Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio
.
grain silos standing tall on four poles. The tops of the silos are capped off with designs that are similar to those found on Royal Guard
helmets
.
and electrical industries to sculpt, by hand, functional artworks. His early works appear metallic and thin, while his current works are seen as having "a decidedly feminine character and deals with a sculptural volume that is more Botero
than Giacometti
." Often abstract
in appearance, his works often seem robot-like
in what has been described as "futuristic and nostalgic." His artworks are found in public and private permanent collections worldwide including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
and Union Square Colonnade in San Francisco's Union Square Park.
Empire Towers was commissioned by art gallery
owner Carl Solway to encourage Fischer to create larger-scale sculptures. The "towers" are considered seminal works in Fischer's career, credited with triggering major commissions for the Massachusetts State House
, Battery Park
, MacArthur Park
and the Kansas City Convention Center.
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
by sculptor R.M. Fischer. It currently resides on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center
Indianapolis Art Center
The Indianapolis Art Center is an art center located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The Center, founded in 1934 by the Works Project Administration during the Great Depression as the Indianapolis Art League, is located along the White River...
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is on loan from the Carl Solway Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
.
Description
Empire Towers consists of two stainless steelStainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
grain silos standing tall on four poles. The tops of the silos are capped off with designs that are similar to those found on Royal Guard
Royal Guard
A Royal Guard describes any group of military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as Emperor/Empress, King/Queen, or Prince/Princess...
helmets
Combat helmet
A combat helmet or battle helmet is a type of personal armor designed specifically to protect the head during combat. Helmets are among the oldest forms of personal protective equipment and are known to have been worn by the Akkadians/Sumerians in the 23rd century BC, Mycenaean Greeks since 17th...
.
Artist
Sculptor R.M. Fischer utilizes objects found in the industrial, plumbingPlumbing
Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...
and electrical industries to sculpt, by hand, functional artworks. His early works appear metallic and thin, while his current works are seen as having "a decidedly feminine character and deals with a sculptural volume that is more Botero
Fernando Botero
Fernando Botero Angulo is a Colombian figurative artist. His works feature a figurative style, called by some "Boterismo", which gives them an unmistakable identity...
than Giacometti
Alberto Giacometti
Alberto Giacometti was a Swiss sculptor, painter, draughtsman, and printmaker.Alberto Giacometti was born in the canton Graubünden's southerly alpine valley Val Bregaglia and came from an artistic background; his father, Giovanni, was a well-known post-Impressionist painter...
." Often abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
in appearance, his works often seem robot-like
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
in what has been described as "futuristic and nostalgic." His artworks are found in public and private permanent collections worldwide including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
and Union Square Colonnade in San Francisco's Union Square Park.
Empire Towers was commissioned by art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
owner Carl Solway to encourage Fischer to create larger-scale sculptures. The "towers" are considered seminal works in Fischer's career, credited with triggering major commissions for the Massachusetts State House
Massachusetts State House
The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the "New" State House, is the state capitol and house of government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is located in Boston in the neighborhood Beacon Hill...
, Battery Park
Battery Park
Battery Park is a 25-acre public park located at the Battery, the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City, facing New York Harbor. The Battery is named for artillery batteries that were positioned there in the city's early years in order to protect the settlement behind them...
, MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park is a park in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, named after General Douglas MacArthur and designated city of Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument #100.- Geography :...
and the Kansas City Convention Center.