Rites of Passage
By Suma Clark for the Fall 1986 issue of Mid-Stater Magazine
The celebration of her Diamond Anniversary brought many people and many happenings to the MTSU campus in recent months. As this special year wanes, the sounds of the crowds have drifted away; events have become memories. But a tangible reminder of what this year was about remains-an outdoor sculpture by artist Jim Gibson, a member of the Art Department since 1970.
Titled "Rites of Passage: Reflection, Celebration, Anticipation," the large corten steel piece sets on a 25-foot square on the northwest lawn of Jones Hall. The sculpture, commissioned by the 75th Anniversary Committee and representing over 700 hours of work by Gibson and student assistant Paul David Roe, was formally dedicated November 25.
Gibson describes his approach to the creation of the abstract piece: "I have long been fascinated with the concept of time and space, the time needed to move in space from one location to another - physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, and various interrelationships of all these." For the past several years, this fascination has found expression in portal pieces which "sort of tease you-make you wonder if you can walk through."
For Gibson, these variations of portal pieces symbolize rites of passage, the rituals primitive societies use to mark the passage of time or significant points in a person's life. He says that these rites of passage are tied very closely to the universal question of ultimate destiny. "And this is absolutely ideal for a university campus. There's a ritual here every season-all the way down to a kid changing majors. It just seemed to be the right time and right place for my ideas and where they're going," Gibson stated.
The first inkling he had that this right time and place opportunity was available came via a memo from the Faculty Committee for the 75th Anniversary Celebration dated February 12, 1985. The communication sought ideas for faculty participation in the year-long birthday celebration coming up in 1986. Gibson recalls that the new chairperson of the Art Department, Chris Watts, was just starting his second year and was "really on the ball as far as the department's visibility." Gibson remembers, too, seeking the advice of his wife, Bette.
Encouraged by their support, Gibson submitted a proposal for "a major sculpture of a size and aesthetic quality that would enhance the environment and academic prestige of Middle Tennessee State University" to the faculty committee. He also began tramping over the campus seeking appropriate sites and included nine possible locations in an addendum to his proposal. The committee included Gibson's proposed sculpture in the ideas to receive further study, and the following months brought meetings with the Campus and Grounds Committee, detailed planning ranging from avoiding underground wires to transporting the components to the site, construction of two scale models for two possible sites, and presentations to the full 75th Anniversary Committee. It was almost exactly a year from the time he submitted the proposal that Gibson received approval plus an account number so that materials could be purchased.
"From writing the proposal to completion, everyone involved has made this a completely positive experience," Gibson recalls with a smile. His plan hinged on purchasing necessary materials but making full use of University staff and facilities. He estimates that without the resulting joint effort, the cost would have multiplied by five or six times. Maintenance personnel prepared the site, including removal of sod, pouring concrete, and leveling the area. Ken Sergeant in Industrial Studies helped with cutting the huge pieces of steel in the department's metal shop. Other maintenance personnel assisted with the installation which was done in sections. Gibson's eyes sparkle as he recalls working "with the guys from Maintenance. They developed as much pride in the work as if it were their sculpture. It was great for me to see the shift from puzzlement to observance."
Another important factor in the project was the student to whom the committee paid minimum wage to work with the sculptor. "I could not have asked for a better assistant that Paul David," says Gibson, describing the junior sculpture major from Livingston, a transfer from the University of Tennessee. "He is very conscientious and has work habits and skills far above what might be expected. This was not a teacher/student relationship but a sculptor/assistant situation."
Roe did much of the welding and grinding of the steel in the studio while Gibson taught an intersession class and put in four busy weeks in the Governor's School for the Arts. The grinding and finishing operation is important because it makes possible a uniform oxidation of the corten steel to form a protective coating which gives the sculpture a rich reddish-brown color.
Although he's no stranger to commissioned work, this piece is the largest in size Gibson has done .. "It made me feel really good to be trusted, to be allowed to make the decisions the artist needed to make," he says, reiterating his gratitude to the Anniversary Committee for making the sculpture possible.
University personnel and students were naturally curious as the piece took shape, and the hot August hours of installing the piece were not without interesting incidents. Gibson says it was not possible to answer all the questions people raised, but he's glad they took the time to look and wonder. He readily admits that "creating any kind of art form and sending it to a gallery results in exposure to a rather homogeneous viewer, but putting something out for the general public is a different ballgame."
In a statement written for the dedication ceremony, Gibson states: "Maximum aesthetic enrichment for the viewer requires art to receive deliberate and direct consideration. The work should also receive frequent viewing, possibly to the point of the person looking forward to experiencing it again at a different time. I hope the viewers will try to 'see' the sculpture with their mind and spirit as well as their eyes."
Images: Courtesy Middle Tennessee State University.