WP 3: Rough Draft 2

“The form-harmony of "Serenity" was planned as an arrangement of endlessly moving lines with the simplicity of effect executed by a concentration of its many modulations of planes rather than of their elimination." ~Saul Baizerman in a 1954 letter to then director of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery in which he describes the process by which he had executed "Serenity."

My art object is a sculpture created from 1932 to 1939 by Russian-born American sculptor Saul Baizerman entitled, “Serenity.” The work is found in the sculpture gardens surrounding the Sheldon Museum Of Art located on the University Of Nebraska campus. Upon first viewing the sculpture, there are some preliminary inferences to be considered and some initial observations to be made. “Serenity” is made of hammered copper. It stands 39 inches tall, 27 inches wide, and is 15 inches deep. The sculpture hangs on a garden and is located in a setting with simple light so there isn’t a glare at any time during the day. While visually interesting, “Serenity,” portrays a deeper meaning. Through the use of ethos, pathos, and logos, “Serenity, makes an argument that feelings of serenity can exist and be found in places where it might seem contradictory to look for such a feeling, such as in a sculpture.

Before you are able to begin to analyze and comprehend the sculpture “Serenity,” it is critically important to first understand the cultural and historical contexts in which it was created. “Serenity” was sculpted by Saul Baizerman, and created from 1932 to 1939. The sculpture now resides in the sculpture gardens surrounding the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery on the University Of Nebraska Lincoln campus.

“Serenity,” was a direct product of sculptor Saul Baizerman’s deeply rooted sympathies for the labor movement and social causes (Getty.edu). Baizerman was born in Vitebsk, Russia in 1889. During his youth he became involved in the Bolshevik movement and in 1906 he robbed a bank in order to contribute to the revolutionary cause and was sentenced to jail. With his father’s assistance, Baizerman was able to escape from jail after only a year and a half and fled to the United States. He settled in New York and trained as a sculptor at various art schools while also working hard as a housepainter, machinist, and a dressmaker, (Getty.edu). In the 1920’s he began to shape copper by hand, a very arduous and labor-intensive process. This technique allowed Baizerman to “align his artistic practice with the daily toil of the manual laborer to whom he remained profoundly sympathetic,” (Getty.edu). In addition to producing many copper works throughout his career, Baizerman also created a series of statuettes in bronze and plaster as homage to the urban worker. As he gained prominence, he was able to create larger copper pieces intended for the outdoors, such as “Serenity.” But all of this sculpting also took its toll. The banging of the hammer on hard metals damaged the motor control in his hands and damaged is hearing. His exposure to poisonous chemicals from soldering metal was ultimately what led to his death of cancer at the age of 68, (Getty.edu). Understanding a little about Saul Baizerman’s life gives us insight into what events and motivations lead to the creation of the sculpture, as well as adding to our understanding of the argument the work makes.

Central to the understanding of this sculpture is the ability to comprehend the definition of the word “serenity,” which is the title of the sculpture. According the Merriam Webster online dictionary serenity is a word that means: “the quality or state of being serene.” The same source defines serene as word as being “marked by or suggestive of utter calm and unruffled repose or quietude, (Merriam Webster Dictionary). It is the understanding of these words that provides us with the most basic preliminary understanding of what argument the sculpture attempts to make. The title of a work can provide insight into not only the argument the sculpture attempts to make, but also into why the sculptor created the piece and what their understanding of the work is.

The sculptor, Saul Baizerman, created a work of art that employs several rhetorical elements to create not only an argument for serenity, but also a feeling of serenity. The rhetorical element of logos is most prevalent in this sculpture. It is the basic structure of the sculpture that shapes the argument, creates contrast, and ultimately portrays serenity. “Serenity” is a copper work that takes the shape of a human body. But an important element to consider is that not all of the body is represented in the sculpture; it has been cropped. There is no head or face, one arm of the figure is not shown, another appears to be tucked under the body, and the legs, while shown, are cut off just above where the knees would be.

The idea of cropping is an especially important instance of logos present in serenity. While it is important to the arrangement it is also creates an important paradox. The cropping of the legs, arms, and the head with the jagged exposed edges creates a rather violent image. But the title of the piece suggests that the sculpture should create a completely different image, one of peace and calm. It is the existence of this paradoxical element that creates the argument for “Serenity,” but also provides interest and conflict.

Another appeal to logos found in “Serenity,” is the vectors of attention. When one first approaches the sculpture the first reaction is to identify the structure as a human form. Thusly, there is a visual hierarchy created. Our natural tendency when looking at other humans is to first look up to the face and the head and then slowly work our way downward. “Serenity” is no exception to this rule. It creates a natural line for our eyes to follow starting at the top and flowing slowly downward. Another rhetorical element at play in this sculpture is the arrangement. “Serenity,” is clearly created to resemble the human form, but it is not a complete human form. The one arm that is visible appears to be tucked under the body, and legs of the figure are partially cut off, or not shown. This element could also be considered as another rhetorical strategy, cropping. Despite the this cropping of the arms and legs, the arrangement is still such that not only can we tell that it is a human form, the most important elements remain, and the piece still conveys emotion.

Another rhetorical element it is essential to consider in “Serenity,” is pathos. The title of the work immediately evokes an emotion because serenity itself is essentially an emotion. One thing that typically elicits an emotional response and supports pathos is the human face, but the case of this sculpture; the head and face are not shown. But even though these characteristics are not shown, they contribute to the rhetorical element of pathos even more strongly. These elements of logos and pathos also present contrasting elements at work in “Serenity.” The cold hard metal from which it was created is a sharp contrast from the calming title with warm emotional associations. The metal structure is also very simple with flowing continuous lines and most basic of human forms, while the emotions that “Serenity” invokes are neither simple nor basic. All emotions are very complicated, and serenity is no exception.

“Serenity,” is a sculpture that portrays not only emotion but also contradiction as well. For every element that is present, there seems to be another that opposes it. Through hammered copper, simple flowing lines, and the partially disembodied human form, “Serenity,” creates an argument that true serenity can exist even where it seems that it should not be found.

Woks Cited

"Saul Baizerman." The Getty. The Getty Museum, n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2009. http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?maker=31236

Sculpture Brochure. Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, n.d. Web.24 Nov. 2009. http://www.sheldonartgallery.org/photos/graphics/sculpturebrochure.pdf

"Vitebsk." Wikipedia. N.p., 7 Dec. 2009. Web. 8 Dec. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitebsk

WP 3: Rough Draft 1

“The form-harmony of "Serenity" was planned as an arrangement of endlessly moving lines with the simplicity of effect executed by a concentration of its many modulations of planes rather than of their elimination." ~Saul Baizerman in a 1954 letter to then director of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery in which he describes the process by which he had executed "Serenity."

My art object is a sculpture created from 1932 to 1939 by Russian-born American sculptor Saul Baizerman entitled, “Serenity.” Upon first viewing the sculpture, there are some preliminary inferences to be considered and some initial observations to be made. “Serenity” is made of hammered copper. It stands 39 inches tall, 27 inches wide, and is 15 inches deep. The sculpture hangs on a garden and is located in a setting with simple light so there isn’t a glare at any time during the day. While visually interesting, “Serenity,” portrays a deeper meaning. Through the use of ethos, pathos, and logos, “Serenity, makes an argument that feelings of serenity can exist and be found in places where it might seem contradictory to look for such a feeling, such as in a sculpture.

Before you are able to begin to analyze and comprehend the sculpture “Serenity,” it is critically important to first understand the cultural and historical contexts in which it was created. “Serenity” was sculpted by Saul Baizerman, and created from 1932 to 1939. The sculpture now resides in the sculpture gardens surrounding the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery on the University Of Nebraska Lincoln campus.

“Serenity,” was a direct product of sculptor Saul Baizerman’s deeply rooted sympathies for the labor movement and social causes (Getty.edu). Baizerman was born in Vitebsk, Russia in 1889. During his youth he became involved in the Bolshevik movement and in 1906 he robbed a bank in order to contribute to the revolutionary cause and was sentenced to jail. With his father’s assistance, Baizerman was able to escape from jail after only a year and a half and fled to the United States. He settled in New York and trained as a sculptor at various art schools while also working hard as a housepainter, machinist, and a dressmaker, (Getty.edu). In the 1920’s he began to shape copper by hand, a very arduous and labor-intensive process. This technique allowed Baizerman to “align his artistic practice with the daily toil of the manual laborer to whom he remained profoundly sympathetic,” (Getty.edu). In addition to producing many copper works throughout his career, Baizerman also created a series of statuettes in bronze and plaster as homage to the urban worker. As he gained prominence, he was able to create larger copper pieces intended for the outdoors, such as “Serenity.” But all of this sculpting also took its toll. The banging of the hammer on hard metals damaged the motor control in his hands and damaged is hearing. His exposure to poisonous chemicals from soldering metal was ultimately what led to his death of cancer at the age of 68, (Getty.edu). Understanding a little about Saul Baizerman’s life gives us insight into what events and motivations lead to the creation of the sculpture, as well as adding to our understanding of the argument the work makes.

Central to the understanding of this sculpture is the ability to comprehend the definition of the word “serenity,” which is the title of the sculpture. According the Merriam Webster online dictionary serenity is a word that means: “the quality or state of being serene.” The same source defines serene as word as being “marked by or suggestive of utter calm and unruffled repose or quietude, (Merriam Webster Dictionary). It is the understanding of these words that provides us with the most basic preliminary understanding of what argument the sculpture attempts to make. The title of a work can provide insight into not only the argument the sculpture attempts to make, but also into why the sculptor created the piece and what their understanding of the work is.

The sculptor, Saul Baizerman, created a work of art that employs several rhetorical elements to create not only an argument for serenity, but also a feeling of serenity. The rhetorical element of logos is most prevalent in this sculpture. It is the basic structure of the sculpture that shapes the argument, creates contrast, and ultimately portrays serenity. “Serenity” is a copper work that takes the shape of a human body. But an element to consider is that not all of the body is represented in the sculpture. There is no head or face, one arm of the figure is not shown, another appears to be tucked under the body, and the legs, while shown, are cut off just above where the knees would be. It is the fact that we see a human form when we look at this sculpture that makes logos such an important part of the work.

There is an important appeal to logos found in “Serenity,” is the vectors of attention. When one first approaches the sculpture the first reaction is to identify the structure as a human form. Thusly, there is a visual hierarchy created. Our natural tendency when looking at other humans is to first look up to the face and the head and then slowly work our way downward. “Serenity” is no exception to this rule. It creates a natural line for our eyes to follow starting at the top and flowing slowly downward. Another rhetorical element at play in this sculpture is the arrangement. “Serenity,” is clearly created to resemble the human form, but it is not a complete human form. The one arm that is visible appears to be tucked under the body, and legs of the figure are partially cut off, or not shown. This element could also be considered as another rhetorical strategy, cropping. Despite the this cropping of the arms and legs, the arrangement is still such that not only can we tell that it is a human form, the most important elements remain, and the piece still conveys emotion.

Another rhetorical element it is essential to consider in “Serenity,” is pathos. The title of the work immediately evokes an emotion because serenity itself is essentially an emotion. One thing that typically elicits an emotional response and supports pathos is the human face, but the case of this sculpture; the head and face are not shown. But even though these characteristics are not shown, they contribute to the rhetorical element of pathos even more strongly. These elements of pathos, as well as the instances of logos, also present contrasting elements at work in “Serenity.” The cold hard metal from which it was created is a sharp contrast from the calming title with warm emotional associations. The metal structure is also very simple with flowing continuous lines and most basic of human forms, while the emotions that “Serenity” invokes are neither simple nor basic. All emotions are very complicated, and serenity is no exception.

“Serenity,” is a sculpture that portrays not only emotion but also contradiction as well. For every element that is present, there seems to be another that opposes it. Through hammered copper, simple flowing lines, and the partially disembodied human form, “Serenity,” creates an argument that true serenity can exist even where it seems that it should not be found.

Woks Cited

"Saul Baizerman." The Getty. The Getty Museum, n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2009. http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?maker=31236

Sculpture Brochure. Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, n.d. Web.24 Nov. 2009. http://www.sheldonartgallery.org/photos/graphics/sculpturebrochure.pdf

"Vitebsk." Wikipedia. N.p., 7 Dec. 2009. Web. 8 Dec. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitebsk