A Reading Place by Madeline Wiener radiates warmth, not an easy thing to achieve in a hard material like Dolomitic limestone brought from deep within the earth. Her five-piece sculpture provides the perfect complement to Reeve Hall, a new student housing complex that was added to the Indiana State University campus in 2015. One of the three seated stone figures reads; the others offer inviting places for people to sit. Two of the forms are stacks of books. Situated along a busy pedestrian corridor, the site is available to the entire university community as well as its many visitors.
The artist likes to create “bench people” that everyone would relate to, so that someone walking by, or wanting to sit and take a break, or maybe even a selfie, would be drawn to them. She does the carving herself, skillfully working with the natural character and irregularity of each piece of stone to achieve dramatic and varied textures within these warm lovable figures that, like the material itself, seem to evoke thoughts of time and persistence.
“Books are a lasting icon for the cumulative knowledge that sustains and advances this institution,” the artist writes. “I hope to remind future generations about books and their importance throughout history. The artwork is timeless, warmly engaging and poetically expressive of the nature of this learning institution.” The sculpture also demonstrates Indiana State University’s dedication to providing arts and culture as an important part of a student’s educational experience.
Additional Information:
Dolomitic Limestone, 2015
5′ high, 22′ wide,
19′ 6” deep
Located on the campus of Indiana State University between the east and west units of Reeve Hall, 550-555 North 6th Street Walkway.
Madeline Weiner lives and works in Denver, Colorado.
Art Spaces gratefully acknowledges Indiana State University
A Reading Place is part of the Permanent Art Collection of ISU.
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