Seeing beyond the seen

‘ ‘ ‘ From Forbes to Fifth, all over Pitt’s campus, colorful, interesting and some downright… ‘ ‘ ‘ From Forbes to Fifth, all over Pitt’s campus, colorful, interesting and some downright bewildering pieces of art liven up the streets of Oakland. And while many students appreciate the art around campus, the looming question, ‘What does it mean?’ creeps across the minds of observers.’ ‘ From the fountain outside of the Frick Fine Arts Building and the huge, color-laden mural in the Chevron Science Center, all the way to the ‘yellow thing’ outside Posvar, this frustrated phrase is uttered far too many times by Pitt students, curious about the works of art adorning the University. ‘ They command attention, yet give no backstory. But each piece of art around the campus has its own history as to how it came to be here. ‘ Situated in the plaza between the Hillman Library and Posvar Hall is a tall bright yellow sculpture.’ ‘Though I don’t understand it at all, I kind of like pondering its potential meanings as I walk by,’ said recent Pitt graduate Chris Hackett. The piece is titled ‘Light Up!’ and was commissioned to sculptor Tony Smith by Westinghouse in 1971. The ambiguous sculpture made its debut Downtown in 1974, where it remained until 1988, when Westinghouse donated it to Pitt.’ The University relocated the sculpture to the Hillman plaza.’ Ten years later, the sculpture had a brief stint at Seagram Plaza in New York City, where it served as part of the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibit, ‘Tony Smith: Architect, Painter, Sculptor.” But the piece didn’t stay away for long and was brought back after the show to its home outside the Hillman Library. ‘I think the sculpture works in this area,’ said sophomore Lauren Demby. ‘Posvar is so heavy and flat-looking that it needs something bright to oppose its ugliness.’ Another notable work that decorates campus is ‘A Song to Nature,’ the bronze sculpture embellishing the fountain that stands near the entrance to Schenley Park and the Frick Fine Arts Building. In 1889, Mary Schenley, a well-known Pittsburgh philanthropist, donated 300 acres of land to create Schenley Park. Eight years after Schenley’s death, the Pittsburgh City Council sponsored a national competition to create a memorial in her honor. The winning model, ‘A Song to Nature,’ depicts the Greek god Pan and a female figure standing above him playing a lyre.’ The sculpture, made of bronze and granite, was originally dedicated on Sept. 2, 1918 and is thought to be a representation of culture’s ability to tame nature.’ It is the first large-scale public art piece created by artist Victor David Brenner, who also happens to be the designer of the Lincoln portrait that appears on the penny. The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy recently completed a large restoration of the fountain, costing about $500,000. The effort included cleaning off the fountain’s surface, improving the plumbing system and adding fountain lights. ‘I’m glad they restored the fountain,’ said senior Britney Harsh. ‘It’s really beautiful, the gold color looks so nice shining in the sun.” Perhaps the most prominent and influential artist featured on Pitt’s campus is Virgil Cantini. Cantini changed the face of Pitt’s campus more than anyone else, molding it into what it is today. As well as an artist, he is the creator of the studio arts department at Pitt. The art department is not all Cantini created, however.’ Cantini built his life out of art and donated multiple pieces to Pitt along the way.’ Over the span of his time at Pitt, he was particularly inspired by Chancellor Edward H. Litchfield, who selected Cantini, a former Pitt student, to go to Ecuador with a few fellow students to assist in the relief effort after an earthquake.’ Upon returning to Pitt, Cantini confided in Litchfield that there were rug factories in Ecuador that fascinated the young artist. Inspired by these and encouraged by Litchfield, Cantini began to make his own decorative rugs, which hang in the library today.’ One of the tapestries depicts a bull and another roosters ‘mdash; animals that the artist chose to represent strength. The Hillman Library funded half of the cost to create the rugs. As Litchfield was somewhat of a mentor and inspirational guide to Cantini, it affected the artist greatly when the chancellor was killed in a plane crash.’ ‘The fact that he was conscious that we needed art at the University, I felt so strong about making it important,’ said Cantini’ Many of his art pieces on campuses are donated in Litchfield’s memory, such as ‘Ode to Joy.” The black, angular piece decorates the landing just outside of David Lawrence Hall. Its triangular structure is meant to channel power and represent the ever-upward growth and indestructible nature of man.’ Cantini stressed the importance of his choice to use durable material to construct the Parran Hall sculpture in 1966, too.’ ‘I conceived man as strength ‘mdash; the COR-TEN steel represented the man with all his strength and beauty,’ he explained. Another of the pieces Cantini passed on to Pitt in honor of Litchfield is ‘Enlightenment and Joy,’ the large enamel mosaic on the first floor of Posvar Hall. The work, created in 1977, pictures a large circle, expanding outward multiple times in splendid color.’ The circle in this piece, and in many others done by Cantini, is representative of the moon. Cantini expressed how much humanity’s first trip to the moon meant to him, saying that it ‘opened up a whole new world.’ The Pennsylvania Department of General Services funded the work, according to Pitt architect Park Rankin. ‘The mural in Posvar is my favorite piece of campus art,’ said Allison Felton. ‘Posvar is so dull that it’s nice to see something so colorful to brighten it up,’ she said. One of Cantini’s favorite works of all time is located in the Chevron Science Center.’ The large, colorful mosaic picturing a man and woman set against a geometric background, arms reaching out so as to just touch, is titled, ‘Science and Mankind.’ Also funded by the Department of General Services, this piece is held in very high esteem by the artist, who said, ‘When a man and woman touch, that is the beginning of life.’ But is all of this art worth it?’ What do students, those who see it most, really think of the art around campus?’ ‘I love that so much of the work is done by Cantini, a local artist,’ said Stephanie Sutkowski, a junior psychology and studio art major at Pitt.’ Art history major Matt Showman said, ‘I think public art is great to have on campus, because it challenges peoples’ notion of art by placing it outside the typical gallery setting.’ And as long as students continue to enjoy and appreciate the efforts of it, the artists, contractors, planners and architects who work hard to make it all happen, more art’ might be a likely outcome. Rankin added that ‘the University always supports the arts and attempts to treasure its art, finding suitable places for things that are secure and open for the public to enjoy.’