9.5′ x 1.5′ x 1.5′
From the artist:
The origins of the work are from architecture, scientific and prosaic writings from history. “Stepped Tower” is a regularly arithmetic series of “blocks” sitting on top of one another using the notion of sliding a penetrated form upward from a cube base. In a way, Stepped Tower refers to revealing layers of history or information as the “steps” push up and out of the “cube” – the first block that is the bottom-most section of the sculpture. The hazy reflective surface reveals a vague reference to the place in which the sculpture is situated.
Most of my sculptures of the last 15 years have had some overt or subliminal reference to the nature of human architecture. This connection is a relationship to the geometric order that is the language of architecture built by people and the “logic” of geometry.
The architecture, cities, and garden design of Italy have had a tremendous influence on the way I see. I have been fortunate for ten years to travel to Italy each summer for The University of Georgia. During that I time I have had the opportunity to see and study the Italian masterpieces of architecture and the most common utilitarian building. Each has had a profound impact on how I think about the construction of objects and space. Vitruvius, Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci, and countless others have shaped my perceptions of architecture, space, and how we live.
Additionally, science, or more correctly, the history of science has had a tremendous influence on the look and intention of my work. I feel that the artist and scientist share with others the quest for “what is the nature of our existence? What causes us to be what and who we are?” Artists and scientists throughout the ages have explored perceptions in remarkable ways.
Lastly, I would like to recognize the fine level of teaching provided by Ronald Bennett, a professor at ETSU in the 1970s. Unfortunately, he passed away in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this year. He inspired me tremendously then and today. He is often in my thoughts, especially in the studio.
Artist website: www.larrymillard.com