Douglas Listening Room

Title: Douglas Listening Room
LC Subject: Sculpture Glass sculpture Relief (Art) Relief (Sculpture) Installations (Art) sculpture (visual work) public sculpture reliefs (sculptures) Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) (R) concept scheme
Creator: Ethier, Linda
Description: Decorative step lights were envisioned for the circular staircase which serves as a focal point for the south end of the library. In 1990, three glass artists -- John Rose, Linda Ethier, and Liz Capelli -- were invited to make a proposal for the design and fabrication of cast glass sculptures to decorate (and illuminate) these stairs. In 1991, Ethier, of Portland, Oregon, was selected for the project, and in response to the selection committee’s suggestions, she used collections unique to Knight Library as the inspiration for her final designs. Ethier’s completed work, entitled Luminated Manuscripts, consists of 15 glass panels installed on the guardrails of the three flights of stairs that comprise what is now called the Solari Staircase. This staircase is named for Mary Corrigan Solari, a 1946 UO graduate, and her husband, Richard Solari, who contributed to the Knight Library expansion project. Initially installed in November, 1992, the glass sculptures were adjusted with filters in August 1993 to enhance their appearance. The panels depict a variety of figures and objects associated with library collections, and several images are based on recommendations from library staff. Thus these illuminated panels represent a unique collaboration resulting in art about the library: its environment, collections, and the people it serves. (information provided by Ed Teague, Head of the University of Oregon's Architecture & Allied Arts Library. For more detail on Ethier's Luminated Manuscripts, please view http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~ehteague/staircase/ ) For an overview on the process behind the creation of this work, please view this page created by Ed Teague: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~ehteague/staircase/ethier.html Linda Ethier; glass; 1995; U of O Knight Library info@lindaethier.com The Oregon Arts Commission has ten Regional Arts Councils that provide delivery of art services and information. The Council for this location is Lane Arts. You may view their website at http://www.lanearts.org/
Location: University of Oregon Library >> Lane County >> Oregon >> United States Lane County >> Oregon >> United States
Street Address: 1501 Kincaid Street, Eugene Oregon
Date: 1975/2012
Identifier: 1993_uo_knight-lib2_03_a08
Accession Number: 1993_uo_knight-lib2_03_a08
Rights: In Copyright
Dc Rights Holder: Ethier, Linda
Type: Image
Format: image/tiff
Measurements: 6 x 6 x 2.5 inches
Material: Sculpture; Glass iridized cast glass; installation relief sculpture; "Ethier created the panels that comprise Luminated Manuscripts by firing glass particles in plaster casts. These plaster molds were created through the 'cire perdue' (lost wax) process. With this process, wax figures are created and then embedded in plaster in such a way that upon heating, the wax melts away, leaving an impression in the plaster. Glass (or another medium, like metal) is then placed in the plaster mold and fired at ca. 1500 degrees. The glass particles fuse in the heat. After the firing, the plaster easily crumbles away from the glass object. Ethier used 'dichroic' glass for Luminated Manuscripts. Dichroic glass has been coated with a metallic oxide to create an irridescent effect. Ethier used another process (employing a rubber mold) to create duplicate wax objects. This allowed her some flexibility in design and the ability to reuse the figures she crafted. Thus, the duplicates of the wax figures employed to create the glass panels still exist" (excerpted from Luminated Manuscripts: The Art and Craft, http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~ehteague/staircase/ethier.html, created by Ed Teague).
Set: Oregon Percent for Art
Primary Set: Oregon Percent for Art
Relation: University of Oregon Knight Library, Phases I and II 1993_uo_knight-lib2
Art Series: Luminated Manuscripts (series of 15)
Has Version: slide; color
Institution: Oregon Arts Commission University of Oregon
Note: The Knight Library is the largest library facility in Oregon, holding collections with a replacement value of over $100 million. Approximately 1.85 million of the University Library's 2.4 million volumes are housed in Knight, along with microforms, government documents, sound recordings, films, and videotapes. Special Collections contains over 40,000 rare books and 13,000 linear feet of manuscript holdings; much of this primary source material is unique and irreplaceable at any price. The building is named in honor of the family of Philip Knight, President and CEO of Nike, Inc. center stairs, second flight, bottom by each step
Color Space: RGB