Broken Walrus I
Encyclopedia
Broken Walrus I, a public sculpture by American sculptor Gary Freeman
(b. 1937), was located on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
campus, which is near downtown Indianapolis
, Indiana
. The sculpture was located North of Lecture Hall from 1975 until about 2004 when it was removed due to rusting out of the structure. It was mild steel, painted an orange-red matte finish, and was 36 inches (91.4 cm) tall by 8 feet (2.4 m) long by 24 inches (61 cm) wide.
A black and white photograph of Broken Walrus I is in the exhibit catalog Gary Freeman: A Decade of Sculpture 1979 to 1989, which can be found at IUPUI's University Library.
, is now in the former location of Broken Walrus I.
Gary Freeman's second Walrus piece, Broken Walrus II, was commissioned in 1976 by Indianapolis apartment developers Borns Associates. Freeman and a handful of Herron sculpture students installed multiple monumental works that were displayed around the Pickwick Apartments on the Northern side of Indianapolis. When new owners took over the apartment complex in the mid-1990s, many of the sculptures were relocated to nearby Pickwick Farms where they can still be seen from Interstate 465 near Ditch Road.
During the time that the sculptures were relocated Broken Walrus II was given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art
(IMA) by the Borns family in 1995. It received the accession number 1995.149 with credit listed as Gift of Robert A. and Susan S. Borns. On December 18, 2008 Broken Walrus II was deaccessioned and disassembled by the IMA because of extreme rusting out of the steel and instability of the piece. The official IMA reason for deaccession is listed as, "Not mission relevant," with a declared value of $0.
Broken Walrus I was made of mild steel
, a material which corrodes at a faster rate than other forms of steel such as cast iron
or stainless steel
. Mild steel is commonly used because of its cost, ease of use, strength, and ability to take on more deformation without failing. Mild steel corrodes more quickly in outdoor environments, especially moist atmospheres, and will cause increased loss of metal due to rusting the longer it is exposed to the environment. Broken Walrus I was displayed outdoors for nearly thirty years, through cycles of harsh Midwest winters and humid summers, causing the structure to become increasingly corroded until it was more efficient to remove the sculpture rather than repair it.
Gary Freeman (sculptor)
Gary Freeman , is an American sculptor from Indianapolis, Indiana. He is Professor Emeritus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and served as head of the Herron School of Art Sculpture Department for 33 years, from 1968 until his retirement in 2001.Freeman was born in Wellington,...
(b. 1937), was located on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis is an urban campus of Indiana University and Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Indiana University is the managing partner...
campus, which is near downtown Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. The sculpture was located North of Lecture Hall from 1975 until about 2004 when it was removed due to rusting out of the structure. It was mild steel, painted an orange-red matte finish, and was 36 inches (91.4 cm) tall by 8 feet (2.4 m) long by 24 inches (61 cm) wide.
Description
Broken Walrus I was a mild steel sculpture, with an orange-red painted matte finish, with the dimensions 36 inches (91.4 cm) by 8 feet (2.4 m) by 24 inches (61 cm). The sculpture was an abstract representation of a single walrus tusk that had been broken at the base. Rather than the tusk being realistic and round, it had squared off edges with an exaggerated, squared end. In order to portray the sense of brokenness, the work was made up of two pieces: the main larger tusk and a smaller section that was leaning against it. The larger section of tusk had thin vertical pieces radiating from each turn in the metal, giving it an even more abstract feel. The entire piece sat on a raised concrete square base that was approximately 2 foot (0.6096 m) high by 7 feet (2.1 m) long.A black and white photograph of Broken Walrus I is in the exhibit catalog Gary Freeman: A Decade of Sculpture 1979 to 1989, which can be found at IUPUI's University Library.
Location
From 1975 until around 2004 Broken Walrus I was located north of New York Street on the IUPUI campus, along the northern edge of Lecture Hall and west of Joseph T. Taylor Hall (formerly University College) at 815 W. Michigan Street. Artist Brent Gann's abstract piece, Orange CurvesOrange Curves
Orange Curves, a public sculpture by American artist Brent Gann, is located on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus, which is near downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Orange Curves is an abstract metal sculpture consisting of three steel curves that have been welded together at...
, is now in the former location of Broken Walrus I.
Gary Freeman's second Walrus piece, Broken Walrus II, was commissioned in 1976 by Indianapolis apartment developers Borns Associates. Freeman and a handful of Herron sculpture students installed multiple monumental works that were displayed around the Pickwick Apartments on the Northern side of Indianapolis. When new owners took over the apartment complex in the mid-1990s, many of the sculptures were relocated to nearby Pickwick Farms where they can still be seen from Interstate 465 near Ditch Road.
During the time that the sculptures were relocated Broken Walrus II was given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art
Indianapolis Museum of Art
The Indianapolis Museum of Art is an encyclopedic art museum located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum, which underwent a $74 million expansion in 2005, is located on a campus on the near northwest area outside downtown Indianapolis, northwest of Crown Hill Cemetery.The...
(IMA) by the Borns family in 1995. It received the accession number 1995.149 with credit listed as Gift of Robert A. and Susan S. Borns. On December 18, 2008 Broken Walrus II was deaccessioned and disassembled by the IMA because of extreme rusting out of the steel and instability of the piece. The official IMA reason for deaccession is listed as, "Not mission relevant," with a declared value of $0.
Condition
Around 2004 Broken Walrus I was removed and disassembled due to extreme rusting out of its structure. As the sculpture was in great need of repair, faculty from IUPUI's Campus Facility Services approached Valerie Eickmeier, Dean of the Herron School of Art and Design, with their concerns. Eickmeier then contacted Freeman and the artist gave permission for the piece to be removed and disassembled.Broken Walrus I was made of mild steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, a material which corrodes at a faster rate than other forms of steel such as cast iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
or stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
. Mild steel is commonly used because of its cost, ease of use, strength, and ability to take on more deformation without failing. Mild steel corrodes more quickly in outdoor environments, especially moist atmospheres, and will cause increased loss of metal due to rusting the longer it is exposed to the environment. Broken Walrus I was displayed outdoors for nearly thirty years, through cycles of harsh Midwest winters and humid summers, causing the structure to become increasingly corroded until it was more efficient to remove the sculpture rather than repair it.
External links
- Flickr: IUPUI Collections Care and Management
- IUPUI University Library Contains Exhibit Catalog with photograph of Broken Walrus I
- Broken Walrus II at the Indianapolis Museum of Art