The photo is of Doolin Doolin by New York artist Ursula von Rydingsvard. "Doolin Doolin" will be installed at the University of Wyoming's Art Museum’s Terrace on May 15-17. This is the centerpiece of artist Ursula von Rydingsvard’s solo New York exhibition at Galerie Lelong in 1997. It's unique among von Rydingsvard’s work, created from carved and constructed 2 x 4-inch cedar beams rather than her more commonly used 4 x 4-inch beams. The sculpture is lent by Neltje of Banner, Wyoming.
Ursula von Rydingsvard's wood sculptures resonate with a sense of history and human presence. Although abstract, their shapes and surfaces suggest the human figure, landscape elements, household utensils, and farm implements. Von Rydingsvard’s work is partially influenced by memories of the German work and refugee camps where she spent the early years of her life before emigrating to the United States and also by the countryside and tools familiar to her Polish farming family.
Sculpting mainly with cedar since the mid-1970s, von Rydingsvard has developed a hybrid technique that involves both constructing and carving. Her process is a methodical one involving the layering and removal of material. Doolin Doolin references the artist’s mother who scribbled "doolin" repeatedly in her later years; it became the footprint for the sculpture.
Von Rydingsvard's work has been exhibited widely in Europe and the United States, including the Whitney Museum of American Art; the CAPP Street Project, San Francisco; the Denver Art Museum; and the Center for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw, Poland. Her sculpture is included in major public collections such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Her outdoor work has been installed at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden; the Storm King Art Center, Mountainville, NY; and the Laumeier Sculpture Park in Saint Louis, among other sites. She had a solo exhibition at the UW Art Museum in 1995.
Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational will be installed between May and July, 2008. "In the coming months, Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational will offer extraordinary educational opportunities for students of all ages to learn about the artists, their creative process, and the behind-the-scenes view of just how these large-scale works are created and placed," said Art Museum director Susan Moldenhauer.
Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational has been organized by the University of Wyoming Art Museum in cooperation with the University of Wyoming, various agencies in the City of Laramie, and the Albany County Public Library. The exhibit is sponsored by the generosity of an anonymous donor with additional support from the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation, the Guthrie Family Foundation, FMC Corporation, First Interstate Bank of Laramie, First Interstate Bancsystems Foundation, the UW President's Office, UW Office of Academic Affairs, UW Physical Plant, Laramie Park & Recreation, Laramie Economic Development Corporation, Main Street Laramie, Albany County Tourism Board, American National Bank, the Friends of Undine Park, Wyoming Public Radio, and the National Advisory Board of the UW Art Museum. Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational will be on view from August 1, 2008 through July 31, 2009.
The Art Museum is located in the Centennial Complex at 22nd & Willett Drive in Laramie. The Museum and Museum Store are operating on special hours this summer due to construction at the Centennial Complex. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
