Treasures of the Swope
AS-X, 1973
Konstantin Milonadis (Kremenchuck, Ukraine 1926 – Niles, Michigan 2012)
Stainless steel kinetic sculpture
Wabash Valley Exhibition Swope Art Museum Sculpture Purchase Award, 1974.03
Steel springs and long, thin stainless-steel rods were used by Ukrainian-born artist, Konstantin Milonadis, to fashion this brilliantly engineered kinetic sculpture. A wire cube appears to float above, and half encases a similarly shaped, slightly smaller base. Vertical rods hover miraculously inside both, as if suspended between heaven and earth. Their shadows cast complex geometric patterns onto the white pedestal. With your eyes, trace the metal lines in space. Your patience may be rewarded by coming to an understanding of why the whole contraption hasn’t collapsed.
The delicately balanced parts shimmer and dance in sensitive response to the gentle nudge of a gloved gallery attendant. Your reward is a symphony of chimes that evoke distant church bells pealing the angelus. As the movement slows, the sound recedes, rhythms compact, and, if you close your eyes, it is possible to imagine yourself in a field in the fading light of evening. In mid-19th century, French painter Jean-Francois Millet made a painting call “The Angelus.” A man and a woman stand with bowed heads, the setting sun denotes a sacred quality as it illuminates the atmosphere.
Featured in Terre Haute Living June 2022.
Click here to read more about this work of art.
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Happening Now at the Swope:
Falling Light
John Rosenthal
June 3 – July 17
Presented by Sherry Dailey and Tom Tucker
Highly respected photographer, writer, and frequent National Public Radio commentator for the network’s “All Things Considered” program, John Rosenthal believes one of the most important aspects of his photographic work is to remind viewers that the world is full of surprise, which most people imprisoned in their habits and devoted to the familiar tend to forget. Three books of his photography have been published. Galleries and museums in several American states have hosted exhibitions of his work. Rosenthal said: “The photography I did for Regarding Manhattan was taken in the 1970s. All pictures are black and white scenes of vintage places in New York City that were culturally meaningful but fragile and about to be swept away in the changing city as the old Polish and Italian neighborhoods became gentrified.”
Born to Dance
Catherine Knight
June 3 – July 31
Presented by the Alliance of the Swope
“I usually make mess before I make art. I am an experimenter. I am not afraid of failure. I work even when I know a piece is not going well. I either find the solution or keep working until it is totally destroyed. During these experiments, anything is possible. I try every way to integrate and push the materials to the limit. This is very exciting for me because the emphasis is not on product but process. I do not feel a need to keep ideas pure. As a work progresses, it may become far removed from the original intention, but that is the essence of my reality, and what I strive to demonstrate in my work – a continual search for the material expression of ideas.” — Catherine Knight on the artwork featured in this exhibition.
paper-bound abstractions
Curated by Indiana State University Interns Grace Berry and Nicole Gruenwald
Closes July 31
“In curating this exhibition, we wanted to expose works from the collection that are rarely seen, and decided to focus on works on paper. Our obsession began when we realized how many amazing works on paper were kept out of sight in flat files. Works on paper are exhibited less frequently than paintings for practical reasons. They must be handled with great care and protected from overexposure to light. When works on paper are displayed, they are put in reusable frames for exhibition, then returned to safe storage in the flat files afterwards. We found that we graveted toward more abstract works, so we decided to continue with the theme. Please enjoy our favorite paper-bound abstractions.” — Grace Berry and Nicole Gruenwald
Renoir and the Hoosier Impressionists
This exhibition features “Fleurs dans un vase jaune” by artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir and highlights some of our best works by impressionist artists who painted right here in Indiana. Many of the works of art in this exhibition are from the permanent collection, but haven’t been on public display in recent memory… you’re sure to see something new to you. This exhibition shows off the newly renovated first floor gallery in stunning fashion! Come experience “Renoir and the Hoosier Impressionists” with us. This exhibition is up until further notice.