C O L I N M U R R AY
I illuminating for a lot of our kids Tom Otterness may well because they had never walked be “the world’s best public around the campus with that sculptor,” as the art critic Ken Left: “Life and Death” by Tom Otterness in the Cathedral. Right: Erik H. ’17 and Mr. Otterness meet at the artist’s Johnson opined in the New kind of perspective,” says Mr. Pirnia. Brooklyn studio York Times in 2002. Public While most of the students gravitated art is his focus, and he has towards classically historical pieces in the completed at least three dozen the whole process. You clearly are a Cathedral like the Barberini Tapestries, public commissions, including very bright young man, and it would Erik was drawn to “Life and Death,” a Life Underground (2004), be great to hear more of what you have modern art installation adorning four of his celebrated multi-figural to say.” On the Friday before the first the columns in the Cathedral’s Crossing. bronze sculpture installation day of school, Erik and his mom travImpish, abstract figurines dotted the pilfor the New York Metropolitan eled to Brooklyn to meet Otterness at lars: some held money signs, some looked Transportation Agency at his studio. Over the course of an afterlike skeletons. A small sign told visitors the 14th Street station on the noon, Otterness gave them a tour of his that the piece was by the sculpture artist Eighth Avenue subway line. studio, showing them his latest projects Tom Otterness. His international commisand some of the techniques he used to After the interns picked the piece sions include public plazas in create his sculptures. It was a historical they wanted to focus on, they visited Münster, Germany, Toronto, overview of the artist’s career and phithe Cathedral’s archives on campus to and Seoul. losophy, coming directly from the artist conduct their research. It was a chance himself. Erik and Otterness were able to to use primary documents to trace the discuss the “Life and Death” project at provenance and history of each item. the Cathedral. Erik learned that Otterness’s personal view Unfortunately for Erik, his research hit a snag: the archives’ about his art is that only the observer’s point of view is what documentation of the piece was lacking, and information matters. Tom paraphrased a Jasper Johns quote: “If I invent about the piece online was almost nonexistent. Erik was gum, and someone uses it for glue, I’ve invented glue.” He determined not to give up. He found Tom Otterness’s email explained that the animal sculptures were inspired by the address and decided he would email Otterness his questions Cathedral’s Blessing of the Animals, and one figurine depictabout the installation directly. “It was a last-ditch effort, but I ing a woman holding a dollar but giving a cent was supposed also thought, ‘Why not?’” says Erik. “And then it turned into to be a “poke” to less generous patrons of the Cathedral. something great.” The experience provided a glimpse into the daily life of A few days after Erik sent his email, Tom Otterness a world-renowned artist. And for his research project? “I responded and proposed that they meet in his workthought his answers to my questions were sufficient,” said shop. “Would you and your mom like to visit my studio in Erik on the subway ride back. Resilience and insouciance are Brooklyn and see where and how the work gets made?” not necessarily mutually exclusive for 8th grade students. s Otterness wrote. “I think that is an enlightening part of
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