Fun Facts about NACHI

The view looking up into the center spiral of Etsuko Ichikawa's installation at the UW Art Museum.

The installation by Japanese artist Etsuko Ichikawa, NACHI - between the eternal and the ephemeral - has been intriguing visitors since it opened in February. Her use and mixing of materials has been especially fascinating, as she combines cotton thread, pyrographs (drawings made from molten glass on paper), video, and audio components. A special section of sample materials was added to the gallery last month to give visitors the opportunity to touch these unique materials.

Here are some other fun facts about Ichikawa's installation:
- The installation reaches the ceiling of the museum at a height of about 16 feet.
- It is 44 feet long and 27 feet wide at the largest points.
- The spiral of cotton thread is 123 in length.
- There are over 11 miles of cotton thread, cut into 8200 individual pieces of differing lengths.
- Each of the 6 pyrographs are 14 feet high and 4-1/2 feet wide.
- The projected video of the dancers runs 32 minutes long and loops continuously.
- The sound comes from 4 hidden speakers under the wooden platform at the center of the spiral, is 28 minutes long, and also runs continuously.

The exhibition will be on view through August 6, so be sure to stop by and experience it for yourself! You can leave us your thoughts and comments about the exhibition either here on the blog, on our Facebook page, or in the guestbook in the gallery.

Etsuko Ichikawa interview on WPR

Image courtesy of UW.

An interview with artist Etsuko Ichikawa to talk about her new installation at the UW Art Museum will be featured this afternoon on WPR's Open Spaces, which begins at 3 pm. Molly Messick from WPR talks with Etsuko about the exhibition: NACHI - between the eternal and the ephemeral - .

You can listen to it live online, or tune in to your local station to here the interview. A listing of stations can be found here.

NACHI - between the eternal and the ephemeral -

 

Installation view, NACHI - between the eternal and the ephemeral -

UW Art Museum

Etsuko Ichikawa

UW Art Museum

The installation is nearly complete and the gallery is transformed into a special place of quiet contemplation.  Only the final fine-tuning remains.  Etusko has created an extraordinary work for the University of Wyoming and the Art Museum, for which we are most grateful and offer our congratulations.  The installation has been challenging and complicated, not only in its physical challenges but also by a schedule that involved so many students both in their classrooms and in the museum's galleries. 

NACHI - between the eternal and the ephemeral - opens tonight from 6 - 8 pm.  The exhibition continues through August 6, 2011.

Don't miss the opportunity to meet Etsuko and join her for an informal walk through the exhibition today at 4:30 pm.

This project has been made possible with the support of an anonymous donor, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Advisory Board of the UW Art Museum Endowment, the National Advisory Board of the UW Art Museum, Wyoming Public Radio, and the Wyoming Arts Council through the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts which believes a great nation deserves great art.

Drawing Students Assist Etsuko Ichikawa's Installation of NACHI

It has been a busy week in the Art Museum as the installation of NACHI - between the eternal and the ephemeral - continues.  Yesterday, drawing students from Prof. Shelby Shadwell's classes spent several hours helping to unfurl, untangle, and isolate each strand of the 11 miles of twine that comprise a large portion of the exhibition.  Prof. Margaret Wilson and dance students also visited the installation to finalize plans for improvisational dances during the opening reception this evening.

NACHI Installation Progresses

Installation view

Courtesy UW Art Museum

The installation of NACHI - between the eternal and the ephemeral - continues.  The suspended structures are complete and preparations to unfurl the hanging twine and hang six 14-ft tall pygrographs begin tomorrow.

NACHI Installation is Underway

Installation view. 

Courtesy UW Art Museum.

The installation of Etusko Ichikawa's exhibition, NACHI - between the eternal and the ephemeral -, is underway.  Primarily suspended from the ceiling, the structural support system is in place and the spiral spine from which a "waterfall" of ropes will be draped, is being attached. 

Steven Siegel's Sculpture to be removed TODAY!

The work created by New York artist Steven Siegel, It goes under, will be removed from its location along the Laramie Greenbelt on October 27-29. The de-installation is expected to take 2 to 3 days. The community is welcome to stop by and watch the removal process.

Siegel was in Laramie last summer to create the sculpture on site. The location along the Laramie Greenbelt, near Commerce Street, offered a natural setting surrounded by pathways, roadways, and corporate structures. Known for his use of recycled material – red mulch, in this case – the Siegel created a meandering, earthworm-like form. Flooding of the Laramie River early in the installation process influenced the final form of It goes under.

Other sculptures in Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational remain throughout the Laramie community and on the University of Wyoming campus. For additional information on exhibitions, call the UW Art Museum at (307) 766-6622 or visit the museum website.

Final Days to see It Goes Under

Located along the Laramie Greenbelt, New York artist Steven Siegel's 170 foot long, site-specific sculpture It Goes Under is the latest sculpture to leave the exhibition, Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational

The exhibition Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational will see the departure of Steven Siegel's piece, It Goes Under, next week. Located along the Laramie Greenbelt, the sculpture resembles a worm or snake moving through the ground. Made from screening and recycled mulch, Siegel created the piece specifically for this exhibition and personally selected it's location. The New York based artist was on site last summer to install the work and was subjected to a variety of Wyoming weather, including heavy winds, excessive rain and a mosquito hatch. The flooding of the Laramie River ultimately determined the final shape that the sculpture took.

Be sure to stop by the Laramie Greenbelt before next week to see It Goes Under before it is de-installed. Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational is an ongoing exhibition of large-scale sculpture throughout the city of Laramie and on the UW campus. While some works must leave the exhibition, others are committed to remain on view and there is the possibility of adding new works to the exhibition as it continues.

For more information on the exhibition, please call the Museum at 307.766.6622 or visit the website.

Water Recedes as Steven Siegel's Site-Specific Installation Progresses

Steven Siegel's sculpture emerges from the receding waters of the Laramie River Thursday as work progresses. Photo courtesy of the UW Art Museum.

With brisk winds, chilly temps, and receding water, Steven Siegel continues to work on his site-specific sculpture along the Laramie Greenbelt. Mother Nature has not been kind over the last two weeks during the artist's visit with rain, a snow squall, cold, constant wind, and rising waters of the Laramie River that flooded the area last weekend. Still, the artist's spirits are high as he remains focused on completing the work over the next week.

The Art Museum's Summer Art Camps begin next week as well and students will venture to the site to talk with the artist and learn about alternative materials and creating art for a specific location.

If you want to meet the artist and see his work in progress, the site is along the Laramie Greenbelt in West Laramie. From Snowy Range Road, turn south at the Gunslinger Gas Station (Snowy Range Road west of I-80), proceed to the second left (Commerce St), and park near the paved entrance to the Greenbelt. Walk east toward the Laramie River and you will discover Steve's work.

For information on the Art Camps, click here.
Press release for Steven Siegel, click here.
For complete information, www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum.

Moroles Sculpture Takes Shape on Prexy's Pasture

Physical Plant staff, the University of Wyoming Art Museum exhibition preparator Sterling Smith, and the artist Jesus Moroles nudge steel tank into place to receive granite infill. Photo courtesy of the UW Art Museum.

Texas sculptor Jesus Moroles was on location earlier this week to install his work for Sculpture: A Wyomng Invitational. Created from a found tank and lined with 10,000 lbs of red granite, Granite Windows will be an interactive sculpture that invites viewers to climb inside the work and/or take it for a spin.

To date, the floor is complete as are the cross-platforms in the work. The east and west "windows" have granite in place. Moroles will return to Laramie in the next week to complete the work.

Press release for Jesus Moroles, click here.
For complete information, www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum.

Artist Steven Siegel begins 3-week Residency to create new work for Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational

On Monday, June 2, New York artist Steven Seigel arrives for a three-week visit to create a new site-specific installation for Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational. Steve visited Laramie several weeks ago to consider sites and options for materials. Since he works with locally-available recycled materials, we took him to ARK, the Laramie City Dump, and the Recycle Center in Cheyenne. His works will be created near the Laramie Greenbelt east of the Commerce Street entrance (west side). Steve selected the site for its unique juxtaposition of nature, industry, commerce, and travel. The site is visible from I-80.

Steve will begin his work in the University of Wyoming Art Museum's shop to fabricate the internal structure for the work. We anticipate 3 days for this aspect of the project and then he will will begin constructing the work on location. Final materials for the sculpture will also be selected and delivered to the site. For this particular project, we look forward to working with Laramie Parks & Recreation.

This will be the second off-site installation for Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational. Of the 16 sculptures scheduled for the exhibition, 5 are off-campus and have been made possible through a very special partnership with the various offices and agencies of the City of Laramie and Albany County.

VOLUNTEERS are needed to assist in the creation of Steve's sculpture between June 5 and 18. Plans are to work 8 - 5, Monday - Friday. If you are interested in helping, please contact Sarah Gadd, assistant curator at the Art Museum, 766-6621.

Press release for Steven Siegel, click here.
For complete information, www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum.