Start To Finish

Artist / Maker George Mossman Greenamyer (American, b. 1939)

Date1990

OriginU.S.A.

MediumSteel and paint

Dimensions204 x 48 in. (518.2 x 121.9 cm)

ClassificationsSculpture

Credit LineCommissioned by the Iowa Art in State Buildings Program for the Applied Sciences Center. In the Art on Campus Collection, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object numberU91.11abcd

Status

On view

Collections

Label TextIowa State's Applied Sciences Center on Scholl Road (northwest of the Iowa State campus) houses a unique forum for cooperation between the university and industry. Here minds meet to apply the pure science and research knowledge gained at Iowa State to real life applications in business. The activities at the Center revolve as one challenge is resolved and a new problem, with its own experts and resources, moves in. This activity is the theme George Greenamyer focuses on in his sculpture Start to Finish. He portrays a project starting with the testing of raw materials and concluding with a finished product for sale, in this case a tractor. Through research and development, a prototype is created and tested before reaching the final stage. Then, following the sculpture's circular base, the process begins again just as it does within the building. Since most of the research taking place at the Center is not accessible to the public, Greenamyer is using his work of art to tell of the happenings inside. Additionally, the grounds of the Center are not always open. As a general rule the public may view the sculpture during regular business hours Monday through Friday. "First and foremost, I consider myself a straight forward narrative public art sculptor. Much of my inspiration comes from structural engineering, Shaker furniture, folk art, Jules Verne, Yankee tinkering, military hardware, architecture, and various visual utopias produced by naive artists. I have created science partnerships to realize kinetic sculptures and am interested in pursuing that further. I seek and enjoy input from historical reference, local idiosyncrasies, materials, inventions, etc., anything that gives me clues as a designer to make the concept belong to the site. My work has a multi-level aesthetic, narrative, and concept that can be understood by the no-art person as well as the esoteric critic. I work in steel which is vandal and weather resistant and designed to be easily assembled on site. The material is machined, hot-forged, and welded. It is then sandblasted, primed, and finish-coated. I have worked many times with public arts agencies, public space designers, landscape architects, transportation systems, and private industry. I work easily with groups, am very organized, and realize major projects within budget and on time."

Markingsplaque on site

SignedBy artist, east column base

Locations