2006; stainless steel and granite; each sculptural element: 2.25’H x 9’6”W x 7’6”D; St. Cloud State University; St. Cloud, MN. Commissioned by the Minnesota Percent for Art in Public Places program.
This work creates a gateway to Lawrence Hall, home to the foreign languages department and resident hall for international students. Creating a kind of cultural road map of languages two words were translated by staff and students into the 51 languages spoken on campus. The word Reflections refers to the contemplation of an idea, while the word Echoes suggests the idea extending outward then returning to the sender as something changed, but still recognizable. The selected words represent the nature and materials of the artwork, the idea of intellectual and university endeavor as well as acknowledge the constant and necessary dialogue between cultures and languages.
© Janet Lofquist