By Douglas Osborne-Coy and Roger Coda
As your eye scans the serene spring setting on the campus of the State University of New York at Fredonia, it may do a double take when you first glimpse the newest addition to the landscape.
Jumping out from the palette of gray and white concrete and green grass is a 12-foot tall sculpture of intertwining steel spirals painted in a radiant shade of red.
The sculpture is entitled “Popeye” and it is the creation of Brooklyn-based artist John Clement. It is on display on Symphony Circle Rockefeller Arts Center as part of SUNY Fredonia’s “In Sight/On Site” project.
Supported by the Department of Visual Art and New Media, the student art group ARTFORUM and Friends of Rockefeller Arts Center, “In Sight/On Site” is designed to give the campus and the community the opportunity to see the latest in contemporary sculpture and while creating an appreciation of art in public places.
Standing 12-feet tall, 11-feet wide and 12-feet deep and weighing three tons, Clement’s sculpture makes a definite visual impact. Clement, who operates Firehouse Studios in Brooklyn, is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City. See other works by John Clement.
As an assistant to Mark Di Suvero and John Henry, two important Modernist sculptors and active promoters of public work, Clement was able to see first hand the impact a public work of art can have on a community.
“Art is a wonderful and essential element of our society,” he said. “It is the task of public art to break down the seemingly elitist barriers which prevent many individuals from seeking out art in museums and galleries.”
Clement explained “Popeye” was created with eight-inch diameter welded steel pipe. The base is fabricated from one-inch thick steel plate and 12-inch-by-12-inch wood timbers.
“The actual physical process of construction was about two months long,” Clement said. “As the piece was made for that site, it was a challenge to create a work which has the proper combination of form, volume and scale to compliment and play off of such an interesting work of architecture (Rockefeller Arts Center).”
Rockefeller Arts Center Director Jefferson Westwood said the “In Sight/On Site” program, under the direction of Robert Booth and Marvin Bjurlin, both distinguished teaching professors of visual arts and new media, has done a great deal to enhance the campus environment. “It has brought some really interesting pieces of large outdoor sculpture to our campus on a rotating basis,” Westwood said. “I have liked some of the works better than others, but ‘Popeye’ is by far my favorite one so far, and I really like where it positioned. My favorite view of it is to stand with my back to Maytum Hall and line things up so I can see William King’s ‘Words’ (also known as ‘The Tin Men’) through the bright red spirals of ‘Popeye’.”
The name for the sculpture comes courtesy of the truck driver who delivered the materials for the project to Clement.
“In this case, the name came when I was in the thick of the artistic process,” Clement said. “I was waiting for a plate of steel to be delivered (for the base section) and the trucker was lost. When he did arrive, he was quite a character. His name was Popeye! The name really caught my ear, and I started to refer to the work as Popeye. Obviously it stuck!”
Clement first applied to the “In Sight/On Site” program about two years ago.
“Last year, Bob Booth contacted me regarding the program. Unfortunately at that time, I had no work available to loan the school.” Clement said. “I contacted Bob again last fall and we scheduled a spring installation. He sent some images of the site and I began work on the piece.”
Booth said the “In Sight/On Site” program has been in existence for about eight years.
“It was something that I had wanted to do for a long time but it wasn't until (SUNY Fredonia President) Dennis Hefner was here that things got rolling,” Booth said. “Marvin Bjurlin and I brought the concept to his attention and he was very interested in the idea right off. He made money available for the first few pieces invited here and has continued to be a big supporter of the program.”
Under the “In Sight/On Site” program, SUNY Fredonia accepts outdoor sculpture for an ongoing, revolving installation on campus.
“Artists are chosen by a committee comprised of myself and students from ARTFORUM. We research appropriate artists from a variety of sources and contact those whose work is interesting and appropriate for outdoor display,” Booth said. “The artists are provided with information about the program, limitations of budget and installation date preferences. We all work together to make it happen.”
Booth noted Fredonia’s 266-acre campus is striking in its beauty and design, with a traditional brick perimeter enclosing a modern sculptured core of buildings including designs by architect I.M. Pei. He explained sculpture installation sites have been selected for high exposure within this setting. The site work is done by the campus department of Buildings and Grounds with cooperation from Kevin Cloos.
With staff from the SUNY Fredonia Buildings and Grounds department assisting with site preparation and installation, “Popeye” came on campus in May. The sculpture has been catching eyes ever since.
“The work has been so well received by the Fredonia community, as well as the followers of my work, I decided too use it as the cover image for a 30-page catalog that was published (the week of May 28),” Clement said.
Clement has been featured in the New York Times, most recently in the article, “These Artists Find Inspiration Afloat.” He has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Chicago and New York City and has held three solo exhibitions. Public installations of his works have taken place in Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Kansas and New York, and permanent displays can be found in New York, California and Texas as well as in Japan, China and British Columbia.
Clement’s sculpture will remain on campus for two years.
