Inflatable airborne works to be on display
Unique artist conference coming to KU
Hundreds of sculptors, artists and art lovers from the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe are expected to converge on the University of Kansas campus April 23-25. They will be here for the sixth National Sculpture Conference.
This biennial conference is unique in that it is the only one in its field in the United States.
The purpose of the conference is for artists and art industries to exchange ideas, information and research on the technology of today's sculpture. Its format includes discussing related areas
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of sculpturing and providing demonstrations requested by participating members.
A. Bret Waller, director of KU's Museum of Art, said the sculpture exhibits would be divided into three categories. They are small indoor pieces, large outdoor pieces and inflatable airborne pieces.
Inflatable airborne pieces are also known as atmospheric art because this type of sculpture can be filled with helium to ascend hundreds of feet. Atmospheric art, said Waller, is a new development in the world of sculpturing, and it is hoped that this category will arouse discussion.
The large outdoor category will be displayed near Memorial
Stadium, while the small indoor pieces will be shown in the south lounge of the Kansas Union. The KU Museum of Art will not be used "because of a lack of space and inadequate facilities," said Waller.
Waller said no one artist or his work would be featured at the conference. Artists are encouraged to bring only one piece of their work.
One exhibit of particular interest to sculptors will be a flaming torch. Granite, which once took years to carve by hand, can be eaten away in a matter of hours with this instrument. The flaming torch makes a dream such as Stonehenge a reality in our generation.
flatable art, topics include light magnetics, computers and new uses of traditional methods and holography, which involves the use of three-dimensional images by means of lasers. These will be displayed by Gaertner Scientific Corp., International Holographics, IBM, Honeywell and General Electric.
Besides the non-traditional in-
With the inventions of the laser beam and holography, "instant disposable sculpture" is now feasible. Demonstrations of room-sized illusions and tremendous three-dimensional objects will also be exhibited.
The uses of metal objects for environments as different as outer space and the world beneath the seas is one subject that will be discussed. Engineering
and metal fabrication, which have made these feats possible, are essential to the sculptor for environmental work.
Speaking of artists and the art industry, Elden Tefft, KU professor of design and conference chairman, said the industry had greatly helped the artist in the use and availability of materials. The artist and the industry are working closer together, he said. This, he said, has resulted in a more proficient artist and extended support for the artist from industries.
Teft said the idea for the biennial conference came from the suggestions of sculptors who attended the seminar here two years ago.
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