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Campus Sculpture Tour Louis Glenn Zirkle
PRESS, 1969 With careful construction and playful purpose, Press transforms a functional object into an aesthetic design. Carved from Iowa walnut, the sculpture presents a series of geometric forms that suggest a mechanical press tool. A large frame holds two central stacks comprised of cylinders and spheres, anchored at the top and the bottom. The top stack hovers inches above the lower stack, perpetually ready to press an object into the desired shape—a concave circle. Though Press appears as though it could function as a tool, it has no moving parts. Static, it can only imply the process for which it was named. Artist Louis Zirkle used a lathe to form the central section of the piece, and so detailed, symmetrical units result, with deep grooves and concentric circles. Merle Zirkle, the wife of the artist, describes his process as technical, “[He had] a mechanical approach to shaping the wood.” Though Press exhibits skilled construction, it retains a sense of play. Stacked to form the central portion of the sculpture, the spheres and cylinders suggest a strange spine made of massive vertebrae. The rich walnut of the sculpture gives the piece warmth and depth, with the thick, rough-hewn frame and the glossy, elaborate interior. Many units of the center resemble cranks and gears, providing an elaborate—though ineffectual—scheme to move the parts. Whimsically, Press shows a utilitarian shape that offers no utility. Yet Press’ location in Noyce Science Center seems fitting. Made with the science of contemporary tools, Press also represents a simple machine. In fact, it represents a machine so simple it is rendered immobile. A construction dependent upon technological progress, Press shows the history and obsolescence of tools.About the Artist: Louis Zirkle, sculptor and professor of art, Grinnell College, received a B.S. from Southern Illinois University in 1957 and an M.F.A. in 1959. He and his wife, Merle Zirkle, also an art professor, came to Grinnell in 1961 as artists-in-residence and shared a teaching appointment. Although known for his sculpture that stands in the center of campus, Zirkle worked in several media including jewelry, silversmithing, design, and ceramics, all of which he taught at Grinnell. Essay by Christine Hancock ‘06 |
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| last updated 5/25/06 | Copyright © 2006 Grinnell College Grinnell, Iowa 50112 | 641-269-4660 |
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