Two Open Rectangles, Excentric, Variation VI (sculpture)
Encyclopedia
Two Open Rectangles, Excentric, Variation VI, is a public artwork by American
artist George Rickey
, located on the Middlebury College
campus, outside of the Christian A. Johnson Memorial Building, in Middlebury, Vermont, United States
. This kinetic sculpture of stainless steel consists of two rotating open rectangles attached with bearings on a u-shaped mount on an upright arm in a steel base. It measures approximately 12 feet high by 3 feet wide.
sculpture is composed of two rotating open rectangles attached with bearings on a u-shaped mount on an upright arm is a a steel base. The rectangles move with the wind in a yaw, pitch and roll. The steel base is painted grey in color and has a silver colored metal plate label attached to it with screws.
and the Friends of the Art Museum's Acquisition Fund. This work was the first outdoor sculpture acquired for the Middlebury College campus.
, a campaign organized by Heritage Preservation: The National Institute of Conservation partnered with the Smithsonian Institution
, specifically the Smithsonian American Art Museum
. Throughout the 1990s, over 7,000 volunteers cataloged and assessed the condition of over 30,000 publicly accessible statues, monuments, and sculptures installed as outdoor public art across the United States
. In Vermont, the survey was sponsored by the Vermont Museum and Gallery Alliance from 1992-1993 where 110 volunteers surveyed 242 sculptures dating from 1740 to 1993. The archives from the project are maintained by the Vermont Historical Society
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist George Rickey
George Rickey
George Rickey was an American kinetic sculptor.Rickey was born on June 6, 1907 in South Bend, Indiana.-Life and work:...
, located on the Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
campus, outside of the Christian A. Johnson Memorial Building, in Middlebury, Vermont, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. This kinetic sculpture of stainless steel consists of two rotating open rectangles attached with bearings on a u-shaped mount on an upright arm in a steel base. It measures approximately 12 feet high by 3 feet wide.
Description
This 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....
sculpture is composed of two rotating open rectangles attached with bearings on a u-shaped mount on an upright arm is a a steel base. The rectangles move with the wind in a yaw, pitch and roll. The steel base is painted grey in color and has a silver colored metal plate label attached to it with screws.
Information
The sculpture replaced a smaller work by Rickey, Two Open Rectangles, Excentric, Variation III, which was stolen from its pedestal in front of the Middlebury College Johnson Building on August 15, 1976. Although the artist and the college were disappointed by the theft, the occasion did permit the artist to produce a similar, larger sculpture that would hold up to the scale of the Johnson Building's architecture.Acquisition
The sculpture was commissioned in 1976 by the Middlebury College Friends of the Art Museum. The purchase was funded by a matching grant from the National Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
and the Friends of the Art Museum's Acquisition Fund. This work was the first outdoor sculpture acquired for the Middlebury College campus.
Condition
This sculpture's condition was described as being well-maintained in 1992 as part of Save Outdoor Sculpture!Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture! is a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. By fostering awareness and appreciation, SOS! aims to advocate proper care of a nationwide public resource....
, a campaign organized by Heritage Preservation: The National Institute of Conservation partnered with the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, specifically the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art.Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum has a broad variety of American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States...
. Throughout the 1990s, over 7,000 volunteers cataloged and assessed the condition of over 30,000 publicly accessible statues, monuments, and sculptures installed as outdoor public art across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In Vermont, the survey was sponsored by the Vermont Museum and Gallery Alliance from 1992-1993 where 110 volunteers surveyed 242 sculptures dating from 1740 to 1993. The archives from the project are maintained by the Vermont Historical Society
Vermont Historical Society
The Vermont Historical Society was founded in 1838 to preserve and record the cultural history of the US state of Vermont. Headquartered in the old Spaulding School Building in Barre, the Vermont History Center is home to the Vermont Historical Society's administrative offices, the Leahy Library...
.