Gift of the artist. In the Art on Campus Collection, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
U2019.261ab
Created from found materials during the renovation of Marston Hall on campus, Francis Miller turns a figure of Anson Marston, the first dean of Engineering, balancing upside down under the weight of an I-beam. Creating a memorial from symbols of Marston’s engineering achievements, the figure’s non-traditional stance draws attention.
“The basic notion of my model is that "monument" often glorifies achievement, often rightfully so, but doesn’t represent struggle to accomplish whatever notable character or creation literally being displayed on a pedestal in the form of a given person. So, I wanted to literally stand that model on its head, and have a sense of struggle, real hardship present, and to have the figure support the achievement, in this case, an iron I-beam for Marston's wonderfully engineered structures, such as the water tank (harkening the Eiffel Tower).”
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0)
