Recreational Activities [Plaster]
Dublin Core
Title
Recreational Activities [Plaster]
Subject
Figure sculpture, American--20th century
Animal sculpture--20th century
Animal sculpture--20th century
Description
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, 1965
Plaster original painted silver
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall M. Fredericks
1991.063
These four reliefs on either side of the Christ figure were designed for the Ohio bureau of Employment Services and Ohio Department of Transportation in Columbus, Ohio. Fredericks stated of these reliefs:
"Sculptural expression is clear and uncomplicated that the viewer should need no interpreter. They are (a) simple and lively expression which becomes as much literature as art. Each of the 4 compositions tells a story. In the Bureau of Employment Services Building lobby: Industry and Employment Activities describes the work or industrial life of the state (Ohio); Recreational Activities describes the good life and the joys of nature and recreation; Motion in Nature expresses the movement in nature and from each element of it, young people will take great enjoyment; Transportation by Man expresses movement in man and shows the evolution of transportation from primitive beasts of burden to the modern expressway."
The reliefs are located in two buildings; Motion in Nature and Transportation by Man are in the Ohio Department of Transportation. Industry and Employment Activities and Recreational Activities are located in the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services Building. Images of these reliefs can be seen in the book, Marshall M. Fredericks, Sculptor, pages 164-165.
Plaster original painted silver
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall M. Fredericks
1991.063
These four reliefs on either side of the Christ figure were designed for the Ohio bureau of Employment Services and Ohio Department of Transportation in Columbus, Ohio. Fredericks stated of these reliefs:
"Sculptural expression is clear and uncomplicated that the viewer should need no interpreter. They are (a) simple and lively expression which becomes as much literature as art. Each of the 4 compositions tells a story. In the Bureau of Employment Services Building lobby: Industry and Employment Activities describes the work or industrial life of the state (Ohio); Recreational Activities describes the good life and the joys of nature and recreation; Motion in Nature expresses the movement in nature and from each element of it, young people will take great enjoyment; Transportation by Man expresses movement in man and shows the evolution of transportation from primitive beasts of burden to the modern expressway."
The reliefs are located in two buildings; Motion in Nature and Transportation by Man are in the Ohio Department of Transportation. Industry and Employment Activities and Recreational Activities are located in the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services Building. Images of these reliefs can be seen in the book, Marshall M. Fredericks, Sculptor, pages 164-165.
Creator
Fredericks, Marshall M., 1908-1998
Date
1965
Rights
Use of this image requires permission from the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum
Type
Sculpture
Coverage
University Center (Mich.)
Sculpture Item Type Metadata
Physical Dimensions
41" x 173"
Materials
Painted plaster full-scale
Catalog Number
1991.063
Object Location
Main Exhibit Gallery
Provenance
1989 March, 22 Gift to Museum and SVSU Board of Control
Notes
From Jennifer Lentz (Collection Documentation Intern 1991-1992)
Memo dated April 3, 1992:
"RE: Industry and Employment Activities, Recreational Activities, Motion in Nature, Transportation by Man
Molly gave me some information on these four reliefs. They were made at a time when a law had just gone into effect requiring that a specific portion of every appropriation for a public building be used for works of art. She did not know if it was a state or national law. She had the following information written down which was probably spoken by Mr. Fredericks. "Sculptural expression is clear and uncomplicated that the viewer should need no interpreter. - they a simple and lively expression which becomes as much literature as art. Each of the four compositions tell a story. In the Bureau of Employment Services Building lobby a plaque describes th work or industrial life of the state." (describing Industry and Employment Activities) Recreational Activities "describes the "goof life" and the joys of nature and recreation." Transportation by Man "expresses the movement in man and shows the evolution of Transportation from primitive beasts of burden to the modern expressway."
MF archives:
Marshall stated that these narrative reliefs were made when percentage-for-art programs came into existence. (This has to be confirmed.) The commissioning department officials stressed that the artwork should be "clear and uncomplicated." This excerpt may be from Fredericks: "Sculptural expression is clear and uncomplicated that the viewer should need no interpreter.-they are simple and lively expression which becomes as much as literature as art. Each of the 4 compositions tells a story (narratives). In the Bureau of Employment Services Building lobby: 'Industry and Employment Activities' describes the work or industrial life of the state (Ohio); 'Recreational Activities' describes the good life and the joys of nature and recreation; 'Motion in Nature' expresses the movement in nature and from each element of it, young people will take great enjoyment; 'Transportation by Man' expresses movement in man and shows the evolution of transportation from primitive beasts of burden to the modern expressway."
Facts:
They are considered 4th dimension because they show a progression of time lapsing and indicate movement/progression of a theme.
The plasters in the museum were painted silver because they were going to be cast in aluminum and this gave Fredericks an idea of how they would appear.
1. Industry and Other Employment Activities
Miner, construction worker, farmer with animals, tool and dye workers, and casting workers.
2. Recreational Activities
Gardening, golfing, sail boating, badminton, canoeing, horseback riding or fox hunting because there are dogs, hunting (animals seen: moose, raccoons, bear, birds).
2-point perspective composition; three triangular forms: two outer are land and one in center is water. One is on land that is land cultivated by man, one is on water and the last is in the wild or woods-land not cultivated by man.
3. Motion in Nature
A flow of animals in an elongated diamond like shape. They are dragonflies, butterflies, birds (geese and or ducks), gazelles, greyhounds, rabbits, dolphins and flying fish.
4. Transportation by Man
Earliest modes of travel-animal power: horses, mules, camels, and elephants, Roman chariot, England's "coach and four," early American covered wagon, Alaska dogsled, three abstracted airplanes in the air with jet fume tails, early to modern motorized vehicles. Swirling streamlined forms that the images appear on are indicative of road and cloverleaf highway that is on the right side near the modern automobile; indicating the development of the modern highway with the modern automobile.
Molly Barth copy:
The next pieces are four reliefs, two on either side of the Christ figure on the wall. They are located at the Columbus, Ohio, State Buildings, there are two twin buildings and there are two reliefs on each one. The one on the upper left is entitled "Industry," you have the different forms of industry with mining, and a foundry, pouring the molten metal, the power plants, farming industry, and the casting the rubber tire. Down below, the next relief is "Recreation" and we have all forms, golfers, someone planting a garden, sailboats, tennis players, some equestrian riders, and of course, there is hunting. These are cast in aluminum, while ours are the plaster models, painted silver to indicate the material used in casting. On the other side of the Christ figure, the lower sculpture is entitled "Motion in Nature." It depicts everything from the dragon fly, on the left, to the geese and the swans, and the gazelles and the greyhounds and the rabbits and the flying fish on the right. The one up above it is titled "Man and Transportation," and it shows different forms of transportation, the donkey, or mule, the elephant, stagecoach, and the jets and the automobiles. These twin buildings that I mentioned, one is the Department of Employment and Industry, and it holds the first two reliefs; the second building is the Department of Transportation and it holds the Man and Transportation" and "Motion in Nature" sculptures.
Memo dated April 3, 1992:
"RE: Industry and Employment Activities, Recreational Activities, Motion in Nature, Transportation by Man
Molly gave me some information on these four reliefs. They were made at a time when a law had just gone into effect requiring that a specific portion of every appropriation for a public building be used for works of art. She did not know if it was a state or national law. She had the following information written down which was probably spoken by Mr. Fredericks. "Sculptural expression is clear and uncomplicated that the viewer should need no interpreter. - they a simple and lively expression which becomes as much literature as art. Each of the four compositions tell a story. In the Bureau of Employment Services Building lobby a plaque describes th work or industrial life of the state." (describing Industry and Employment Activities) Recreational Activities "describes the "goof life" and the joys of nature and recreation." Transportation by Man "expresses the movement in man and shows the evolution of Transportation from primitive beasts of burden to the modern expressway."
MF archives:
Marshall stated that these narrative reliefs were made when percentage-for-art programs came into existence. (This has to be confirmed.) The commissioning department officials stressed that the artwork should be "clear and uncomplicated." This excerpt may be from Fredericks: "Sculptural expression is clear and uncomplicated that the viewer should need no interpreter.-they are simple and lively expression which becomes as much as literature as art. Each of the 4 compositions tells a story (narratives). In the Bureau of Employment Services Building lobby: 'Industry and Employment Activities' describes the work or industrial life of the state (Ohio); 'Recreational Activities' describes the good life and the joys of nature and recreation; 'Motion in Nature' expresses the movement in nature and from each element of it, young people will take great enjoyment; 'Transportation by Man' expresses movement in man and shows the evolution of transportation from primitive beasts of burden to the modern expressway."
Facts:
They are considered 4th dimension because they show a progression of time lapsing and indicate movement/progression of a theme.
The plasters in the museum were painted silver because they were going to be cast in aluminum and this gave Fredericks an idea of how they would appear.
1. Industry and Other Employment Activities
Miner, construction worker, farmer with animals, tool and dye workers, and casting workers.
2. Recreational Activities
Gardening, golfing, sail boating, badminton, canoeing, horseback riding or fox hunting because there are dogs, hunting (animals seen: moose, raccoons, bear, birds).
2-point perspective composition; three triangular forms: two outer are land and one in center is water. One is on land that is land cultivated by man, one is on water and the last is in the wild or woods-land not cultivated by man.
3. Motion in Nature
A flow of animals in an elongated diamond like shape. They are dragonflies, butterflies, birds (geese and or ducks), gazelles, greyhounds, rabbits, dolphins and flying fish.
4. Transportation by Man
Earliest modes of travel-animal power: horses, mules, camels, and elephants, Roman chariot, England's "coach and four," early American covered wagon, Alaska dogsled, three abstracted airplanes in the air with jet fume tails, early to modern motorized vehicles. Swirling streamlined forms that the images appear on are indicative of road and cloverleaf highway that is on the right side near the modern automobile; indicating the development of the modern highway with the modern automobile.
Molly Barth copy:
The next pieces are four reliefs, two on either side of the Christ figure on the wall. They are located at the Columbus, Ohio, State Buildings, there are two twin buildings and there are two reliefs on each one. The one on the upper left is entitled "Industry," you have the different forms of industry with mining, and a foundry, pouring the molten metal, the power plants, farming industry, and the casting the rubber tire. Down below, the next relief is "Recreation" and we have all forms, golfers, someone planting a garden, sailboats, tennis players, some equestrian riders, and of course, there is hunting. These are cast in aluminum, while ours are the plaster models, painted silver to indicate the material used in casting. On the other side of the Christ figure, the lower sculpture is entitled "Motion in Nature." It depicts everything from the dragon fly, on the left, to the geese and the swans, and the gazelles and the greyhounds and the rabbits and the flying fish on the right. The one up above it is titled "Man and Transportation," and it shows different forms of transportation, the donkey, or mule, the elephant, stagecoach, and the jets and the automobiles. These twin buildings that I mentioned, one is the Department of Employment and Industry, and it holds the first two reliefs; the second building is the Department of Transportation and it holds the Man and Transportation" and "Motion in Nature" sculptures.
Files
Citation
Fredericks, Marshall M., 1908-1998, “Recreational Activities [Plaster],” Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, accessed December 22, 2024, https://omeka.svsu.edu/items/show/5112.