While touring SUNY Fredonia’s 249-acre campus, one immediately appreciates the unique architecture of its academic and administrative buildings. The distinctive mix of traditional brick and modern designs are beautifully complemented by a vast collection of striking outdoor sculptures.
“Loose Ends,” a 15-foot tall, 1,000-pound metallic presence is perhaps the most eye-catching of them all — especially on a bright, sunny day. It’s virtually impossible to ignore when the sun reflects off its shiny, stainless-steel exterior consisting of 10 long, hollow, upward-curving cylinders. This unique creation which was added as a temporary installation in May of 2007 has recently been purchased by the student group, ARTFORUM — meaning that this piece which has reached iconic status on campus is here to stay.
“Loose Ends” is the creation of Mike Hansel, a Newport, R.I.-based artist and faculty member at St. Georges School who specializes in outdoor sculptures. It is on display between Maytum and Thompson halls, facing Rockefeller Arts Center.
The initial inspiration for “Loose Ends” came from sea life, said Hansel, who spent one month erecting this creation. “I have done lots of drawings of sea life, and ‘Loose Ends’ resulted from some drawings that were of the legs of starfish,” he added.
“Loose Ends” has been part of SUNY Fredonia’s popular “In Sight/On Site” program. Supported by the Department of Visual Arts and New Media, ARTFORUM and the Friends of Rockefeller Arts Center, the program is designed to give the campus and community the opportunity to see contemporary sculpture while simultaneously creating an appreciation of art in public places.
Through the In Sight/On Site program, which has been in existence now for 11 years, SUNY Fredonia accepts outdoor sculptures for ongoing, revolving installation on campus, although certain pieces become so popular that campus members express a desire to make them permanent. “Popeye,” the 12-foot tall, vibrant red sculpture made of intertwining steel spirals, was granted permanent status in the spring of 2009 following its initial installation on campus in 2000. A few years earlier, “Void,” the tall, granite and glass sculpture on the south side of Reed Library, was the first to gain permanency, having first come to campus in 2002.
The sculpture’s name came from Hansel’s use of phrases and clichés. “Usually, ‘loose ends’ refers to a bunch of things that have come together randomly and form a sort of leftover collection of things,” Hansel explained. “My idea is to take something familiar and change it in a way that forces people to look at it differently. The forms used in this sculpture appear to be segmented parts of something that might have been larger: ends. I also find it interesting to imply movement in the sculpture through repetition, which suggests that they are loose and free.”
Hansel discovered In Sight/On Site in a magazine ad calling for artists to submit their work. Originally he submitted a piece called, “Bristling,” in 2005 for a two-year installation before introducing “Loose Ends” to SUNY Fredonia. Still actively creating sculptures, his work can be seen in various locations across the east coast, ranging from an outdoor exhibit in Albany, N.Y., to a large-scale installation in a Lincoln, Mass., sculpture park. He holds a Master’s of Fine Art from the University of Pennsylvania.
“Artists are chosen by a committee comprised of myself and students from ARTFORUM,” Visual Arts and New Media Professor Robert Booth said. “We research appropriate artists from a variety of sources and contact those whose work is interesting and appropriate for outdoor display. 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, who was honored with the rank of “Distinguished Teaching Professor” by the SUNY Chancellor’s Office in 2005, noted Fredonia’s campus is striking in its beauty and design. He explained that the sculpture installation sites have been selected due to the high traffic exposure each offers. The sites preparation and maintenance work is performed by the Department of Facilities Services, led by its director, Kevin Cloos.
