There is a new bear on Brown University’s campus. Brown’s “Percent for Art” program has recently funded the construction of a ten foot Kodiak bear sculpture that was installed on the Ittleson Quadrangle on Saturday, November 2. The sculpture, titled “Indomitable”, was constructed by wild life artist and expert Nick Bibby who is known for his attention to detail. His sculptures are said to posses a “like-like” quality due to his close study of the animal’s anatomy. Other artists, such as the well known Damien Hirst, have lauded Bibby’s skill with his use of the Lost Wax Process in the construction of his sculptures. This labor and time intensive process has been around for thousands of years and requires the artist to possess a great amount of discipline. Bibby’s “Indomitable”, made from this process, makes for the fourth Brown mascot on campus.
“Indomitable” is not the only public art project that Brown has funded in the past few years. Brown’s “Percent for Art” program incorporates art pieces into the construction of new buildings on campus. Of the construction budget for new buildings and major renovations, one percent is designated for the commission of new artworks. These commissions are organized by The Public Art Committee, started in 1999 by President Gordon Gee. The goal of the committee is “the creation of a distinguished collection of contemporary artworks” to decorate the Brown community. The committee is responsible for selecting artists to engage with the new spaces on campus. Each commission is supposed to create a piece that responds to the new piece of architecture on campus and adds to the character and aesthetic value of the building.
Recent commissions include a pedestrian bridge by Daniel Samuels called “Lines of Sight”. This bridge is installed in the Sidney E. Frank Hall for Life Sciences and contains etched, engraved, and cut glass in double-pane windows. This bridge is fully functional and accessible to everyone in the Life Sciences building. Another recent commission includes Nina Katchadourian’s “Advice from a Former Student”, an audio recordings infinite loop made in 2010 that resides in Faunce House near the Student Information Desk. This audio recordings loop, installed in the wall in the shape of an ear, provides students with looped snippets of advice. This advice comes from Brown alumni, classes 1939 to 2010, and includes notes about what they learned while at Brown.
Both of these pieces serve not only to add aesthetic value to the surroundings, but also to interact with the purpose and physical layout of the buildings in which they are installed. The “Line of Sights” bridge provides a useful way of crossing from one side of the building to the other while also offering pedestrians views of the campus through the glass walls of the bridge. The “Advice from a Former Student” piece interacts with the purpose of the Student Information Desk and Faunce House as a whole: to provide students with the necessary resources to succeed. “Indomitable”, too, interacts with the surrounding Ittleson Quadrangle. Ittleson contains the main athletic buildings on campus, so the mascot of the Kodiak bear serves as an emblem of school pride and unity.
These public art works, sponsored by “Percent for Art”, give a value to art beyond simply that of aesthetics. These pieces not only add beauty to their surroundings, but they also serve a specific purpose or function. They interact with their surroundings, to the pieces of architecture or landscape in which they are placed, and thus add to the character of the space as a whole.