Orange Curves
Encyclopedia
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 angles creating a three-dimensional composition. The entire sculpture has been painted orange. It is located on the North side of the Lecture Hall which is located at 325 University Blv.
Metal is often cast, welded or both to create a sculpture. Orange curves shows evidence of both. To cast metal it must be heated in a forge to a temperature above melting point, then it is taken from the forge and poured into a mold. This mold can be made of a variety of materials ranging from metal to ceramic, but the mold must be carefully reinforced to prevent it from breaking or leaking as the metal cools and hardens. Welding
is a process that joins two pieces of metal in a strong joint by applying heat and sometimes pressure that cools to form the joint. After the joint cools there is a joint line consisting filler metal and the metal of the two pieces that have been joined. Steel is an alloy
, that is, it is a composite of more than one metal. The specific proportions of the different types of metal in steel can make it a very challenging material to work with.
1989 campaign organized by Heritage Preservation: The National Institute of Conservation partnered with the Smithsonsian Institution, specifically the Smithsonian American Art Museum
. Throughout the 1990s, over 7,000 volunteers nationwide have cataloged and assessed the condition of over 30,000 publicly accessible statues, monuments, and sculptures installed as outdoor public art across the United States
.
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...
. Orange Curves is an abstract metal sculpture consisting of three steel curves that have been welded together at angles creating a three-dimensional composition. The entire sculpture has been painted orange. It is located on the North side of the Lecture Hall which is located at 325 University Blv.
Description
Orange Curves consists of three cast steel curves welded together. When looking at the proper front of the sculpture the middle curve appears to be the link between the bottom and top curves. This middle curve resembles a backward "c" with the top curve looped through the top of the inverted "c" and the bottom curved looped through the bottom middle portion of the same middle curve. Both the bottom and the middle curves are attached to the base with additional pieces of steel which have been bolted into the concrete base. The composition does not appear to suggest anything representational. Each curve is similar in size in shape but are not identical. The entire sculpture, except the attaching bolts, has been painted orange. An image on the artist's website indicates that this sculpture was exhibited inside in another context sometime before it was installed in its present location.Metal is often cast, welded or both to create a sculpture. Orange curves shows evidence of both. To cast metal it must be heated in a forge to a temperature above melting point, then it is taken from the forge and poured into a mold. This mold can be made of a variety of materials ranging from metal to ceramic, but the mold must be carefully reinforced to prevent it from breaking or leaking as the metal cools and hardens. Welding
Welding
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...
is a process that joins two pieces of metal in a strong joint by applying heat and sometimes pressure that cools to form the joint. After the joint cools there is a joint line consisting filler metal and the metal of the two pieces that have been joined. Steel is an alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
, that is, it is a composite of more than one metal. The specific proportions of the different types of metal in steel can make it a very challenging material to work with.
Artist
Brent Gann is and American Artist who obtained B.F.A.'s in both Visual Communication and Sculpture from Herron School of Art and Design in 2000. He also received a certificate in Computer Science in 2002. He has worked as a graphic designer on many projects for Pathology Multimedia Education Group, Hedges and Associates, Beauty and Beasts and Shock Therapy TV among others since 1999.Documentation
A Museum Studies course at IUPUI recently undertook the project of researching and reporting on the condition of 40 outdoor sculptures on the university campus. Orange Curves was included in this movement. This documentation was influenced by the successful Save Outdoor Sculpture!Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture! is a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. By fostering awareness and appreciation, SOS! aims to advocate proper care of a nationwide public resource....
1989 campaign organized by Heritage Preservation: The National Institute of Conservation partnered with the Smithsonsian Institution, specifically the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art.Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum has a broad variety of American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States...
. Throughout the 1990s, over 7,000 volunteers nationwide have cataloged and assessed the condition of over 30,000 publicly accessible statues, monuments, and sculptures installed as outdoor public art across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.