Michaelashafer

Barrow
[[File::Proper Front of Barrow.jpg|300 px|upright=1.22]]
Artist	Jill Viney
Year	2007- 2008
Type	fiberglass and metal meshing Height:8' Diameter: 8'
Dimensions	2.4 m (8 ft); 2.4 m diameter (8 ft)
Location	Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Barrow, a public sculpture by an American artist Jill Viney, is located on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus, which is near downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The sculpture is just north of the Herron School of Art on New York Street. This sculpture is made from a double wall of fiberglass encasing a sheet of metal meshing. Barrow measures 8 feet in height and 8feet in diameter. Barrow was installed at IUPUI on May 7, 2008 at 12:00 noon. .

Sculpture Description

Barrow consists of a molded fiberglass hemisphere with two entry ways. These entry ways are identical rectangular shapes with rounded edges. They are located directly oposite one another, with one located at the sculpture's proper front and the other at its proper back. The fiberglass is molded so that it forms a double wall around an encased sheet of metal meshing. The wall of the fiberglass that is seen from within the sculpture has been allowed to develop darkly, while the outside is light and shiny. The double wall of fiberglass occupies mass, but also contains space. This alters the viewers a changing perception of light and color.

From the outside, the fiberglass has been molded so that the thin vertical ridges begin at the bottom of one side, ascend framing the entry ways, and descend down the other side. These strips continue over the dome, and frame the entry way on the opposite side. The metal meshing gives the fiberglass a interesting visual effect of texture, within being able to feel it.

The sculpture sits on a square concrete base at a 45 degree angle. Once inside the sculpture, there is a rubber mat on the base to allow viewers to move within the space safely. Upon entering the sculpture, one is inclined to look up at its ceiling. Their is a bullseye shaped pattern consisting of an thin red outline, surrounding a large blue circle. Within the blue circle is a smaller red outline surrounding a much smaller yellow circle.

Sculpture Information

Barrow was commissioned for IUPUI in 2007. The sculpture was installed at the Herron School of Art on Wednesday, May 7, at noon. Barrow will remain on display for two years. Barrow was inspired by Viney's visits to caves and burial mounds in Ireland and France. The word barrow means a prehistoric burial mound used by Celtic people of France, [[England], Scotland, and Ireland. Viney's inspiration for the ceiling of Barrow came from her experience in an actual barrow in Ireland. While inside the mound's central rounded space, a beam of light came streaming in through a slot in the ceiling. These slots were used to chart the solstices, and the paths of the sun and moon. The space also had empty niches in the walls, resembling the entry ways in Barrow.

While visiting the Peche Merle cave in France along the Dordogne River, Viney discovered a cave with paintings and images lining the walls. The artists had crushed red oxide rock into a powder, and then blown it around their hands, leaving a negative imprint on the wall. The thumb and forefinger were touching, leaving behind a repeated circle pattern along the walls of the cave. This is red pattern is the influence for the red in Viney's patterned ceiling of Barrow.

Artist

Jill Viney was born in a coastal town in California. She obtained her Bachelor's degree at Sarah Lawrence College, and her Masters of Fine Arts at Coulmbia. Viney once used a quote in her artist statement from Albert Einstein,"Look, look deep into nature and you will understand everything better." She was very interested in how advancements in technology allow us to see deeper into spaces that would otherwise be unseen. She alters the viewer's perceptions of light, space, and color.

Viney has had solo exhibitions at the following institutions:

• 2007-2009: Herron School of Art at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
• 2007: Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York
• 2004-5: Gallery 210, University of Missouri, St. Louis Campus, St. Louis, Missouri
• 2001: Pacific Northwest College of Art,Portland Oregon
• 2000: Trans Hudson Gallery, New York

Viney has earned the following fellowships and awards:

• Yaddo Fellowship and Member of the Corporation
• Saratoga Springs, New York

Viney has collections in the followign locations:

• Columbia University, NYNEX Art Collection
• New York University Medical Center
• Primerica Foundation Peco Energy Art Collection, Pennsylvania
• Newark, New Jersey
• Private Collections: California, Connecticut, Florida, and New York

Other works by Viney include:

• Baja II 1995
• Drifter II 1999
• Vigil 2004
• Dwelling 2004
• Pulse I 1996
• Pulse III 1998

As of September 2009, Barrow was Viney's most recent work. She is currently working on drawings to relate to the process used to create her latest sculpture.

Location History

This work was commissioned for the Herron School of Art and will remain on display for two years.

Condition

Barrow is in good condition. The sculpture is structurally sound appears to have no losses to the structure. The base is in great condition, and I would only recommend routine maintenance to keep the area free of debri and trash. There is only one mark on the proper back of the sculpture near the entry way. This appears to be residue of paint. With the proper chemical treatment, it appears that it could be easily removed. The inside of sculpure collects leaves, trash, and cobb webs, and should be cleaned regularly.

External Links

Flickr:IUPUI Collections Care and Management [1]

References

Category:IUPUI public art collection Category:Culture of Indianapolis Category:Outdoor sculptures in Indianapolis