Freedom of the Human Spirit [Plaster]
Dublin Core
Title
Freedom of the Human Spirit [Plaster]
Subject
Figure sculpture, American--20th century
Description
Freedom of the Human Spirit, 1964
One third scale model
Plaster original
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall M. Fredericks
1991.046
Fredericks is quoted explaining the Freedom of the Human Spirit:
"I tried to take the male and female figures and free them from the earth. The only reason they stand up in the space at all is because they are suspended by sort of semi-visible abstract forms that keep them in the air, and then there are three giant wind swans flying with them. The idea was that these human beings, these people-us, do not have to be limited to the earth, to the ground. We can free ourselves mentally and spiritually whenever we want to, if we just try to do so."
One third scale model
Plaster original
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall M. Fredericks
1991.046
Fredericks is quoted explaining the Freedom of the Human Spirit:
"I tried to take the male and female figures and free them from the earth. The only reason they stand up in the space at all is because they are suspended by sort of semi-visible abstract forms that keep them in the air, and then there are three giant wind swans flying with them. The idea was that these human beings, these people-us, do not have to be limited to the earth, to the ground. We can free ourselves mentally and spiritually whenever we want to, if we just try to do so."
Creator
Fredericks, Marshall M., 1908-1998
Date
1964
Rights
Use of this image requires permission from the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum
Relation
Type
Sculpture
Coverage
University Center (Mich.)
Sculpture Item Type Metadata
Physical Dimensions
84" x 42" x 46"
Materials
Plaster
Catalog Number
1991.046
Object Location
Main Exhibit Gallery
Provenance
1987 Gift to Museum and SVSU Board of Control
Notes
Molly Barth copy:
This is the one-third scale model of The Freedom of the Human Spirit. You can stand right here and then look right behind it and see the full-size fiberglass cast of the sculpture that was made for the 1964 World's Fair at Flushing Meadow, New York. Recently, Fredericks donated the full-size model to the city of Birmingham so it could be cast in bronze and put up in downtown Birmingham, Michigan. [Did he actually give the model?] It is an uplifting piece. You can stand here and see the pins and the joints and understand how it is put together. Fredericks starts small, and then it's enlarged and enlarged again and you can see how he went from this one-third scale model to the full-scale model.
This is the one-third scale model of The Freedom of the Human Spirit. You can stand right here and then look right behind it and see the full-size fiberglass cast of the sculpture that was made for the 1964 World's Fair at Flushing Meadow, New York. Recently, Fredericks donated the full-size model to the city of Birmingham so it could be cast in bronze and put up in downtown Birmingham, Michigan. [Did he actually give the model?] It is an uplifting piece. You can stand here and see the pins and the joints and understand how it is put together. Fredericks starts small, and then it's enlarged and enlarged again and you can see how he went from this one-third scale model to the full-scale model.
Files
Citation
Fredericks, Marshall M., 1908-1998, “Freedom of the Human Spirit [Plaster],” Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, accessed April 19, 2024, https://omeka.svsu.edu/items/show/5095.