Spaceship Earth (sculpture)

Infobox Sculpture


title = Spaceship Earth
artist = Eino
year = 2000-2007
type = Brizilian Blue Quartzite
height =
inch =
city = Kennesaw
museum = Kennesaw State University

Spaceship Earth is a 350,000 pound Brazilian blue quartzite sculpture created by Finnish American artist Eino.cite news | first=Angela | last=Hill | coauthors= | title=175-ton East Bay-inspired 'Earth Spaceship' needs landing pad | date=2007-03-24 | publisher=MediaNews Group, Inc | url =http://www.lexisnexis.com/ | work =Alameda Times-Star | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-28 | language = ] The sculpture commissioned by Brian Maxwell, of Powerbar the Maxwell Family Foundation for the late environmentalist David Brower and its name was often used by Brower referring to mankind traveling through life in a common vehicle.cite news | first=Kristin | last=Bender | coauthors= | title=Artist's tribute may get a home;Berkeley Marina probable site for 'Spaceship Earth,' a memorial | date=2004-07-12 | publisher=MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers | url =http://www.lexisnexis.com/ | work =Alameda Times-Star | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-28 | language = ] Today the sculpture is location at Kennesaw State University adjacent to the Social Science building, the first LEED certified building the University System of Georgia.cite news | first=Stacey | last=Moore | coauthors= | title=Spaceship Earth sculpture unveiled | date=2006-10-30 | publisher=Kennesaw State University | url =http://acsdevl.kennesaw.edu/access/story.asp?sto=340 | work =Access Online | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-28 | language = ]

The 175-ton chunk of rock was formed from 88 individual pieces of quartzite and bonded with specially made polyepoxide. After these pieces were in place Eino attached a life-size bronze model of the late Brower. Additionally, 2,400 bronze pieces were added to the exterior to outline land masses on the earth.

Spaceship Earth was completed in August 2006 and unveiled in October. In an unexpected turn of events the massive sculpture broke apart and spilling over just two months later. First reports cited poor adhesive and unsound construction contruibuted to its demise while Eino argued that it had to have been an act of vandalism.

History

A few months before the November 2000 death of the first Executive Director Sierra Club and lifelong environmentalist David Brower, the founders of PowerBar, Brian and Jennifer Maxwell, commissioned the 175 ton tribute in his honor. It was during a morning run with photographer Galen Rowell and PowerBar's Brian Maxwell that the tribute was conceived. Shortly after Maxwell met with his friend, environmentalist, and Finnish-American artist Eino to create such a sculpture.

Eino was sent a billion stone samples from a rock quarry in Brazil at the start of the project and " [he] thought, oh my, this is three times harder than marble. But immediately I understood this was the right stone. It is more permanent than anything else. No pollution can hurt it. No graffiti will harm it. It was the right stone to be here for 1,000 years." Over 175 tons of Brazilian blue quartzite was shipped and stored in a parking lot while Eino and Maxwell could secure a home for the sculpture. Locations in Berkeley to Washington, DC were proposed but all were turned down my local art commissions or city councils. For nearly a year Eino argued to have the sculpture in placed in the streets of San Francisco but the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Visual Arts Committee turned it down by saying "not only had little or nothing to do with the city but "was too big and did not represent Brower's ideals."cite news | first=Leah | last=Garchik | coauthors= | title=175-ton East Bay-inspired 'Earth Spaceship' needs landing pad | date=2003-08-13 | publisher=The Chronicle Publishing Co. | url =http://www.lexisnexis.com/ | work = The San Francisco Chronicle | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-28 | language = ]

Later, in 2004, Jennifer Maxwell, then the widow of Brian Maxwell, contact the City of Berkeley to find a home for the tribute.cite news | first=Ken | last=Coupland | coauthors= | title=Spaceship Earth Tries to Land A sleepwalking David Brower sculpture looks for a home. | date=2004-09-15 | publisher=East Bay Express Publishing, LP | url =http://www.lexisnexis.com/ | work =East Bay Express | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-28 | language = ] A few members of the Berkeley Arts Commission spoke out against the sculptures design and how it seemed to be forced on the city. In October 2004 the commission voted 7-2 to accept the sculpture with conditions.cite news | first=Patrick | last=Hoge | coauthors= | title=Panel OKs accepting altered sculpture | date=2004-10-30 | publisher=The Chronicle Publishing Co. | url =http://www.lexisnexis.com/ | work = The San Francisco Chronicle | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-28 | language = ] For final approval by the Civic Art Commission 15 foot wide sculpture could not be adorned with the bronze statue of Brower and the Maxwell family had to pay the entire installation cost.cite news | first=Susan | last=Kuchinskas | coauthors= | title=Lost in Space | date=2005-08-03 | publisher=East Bay Express Publishing, LP | url =http://www.lexisnexis.com/ | work =East Bay Express | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-28 | language = ] By 2005 with a push from the Mayor the Civic Art Commission found nearly 30 different locations the sculpture could live. In August 2005 two Berkeley area commissions voted to consider another location. While negotiations were dragging on with bureaucrats in Berkeley officials at Kennesaw State University contacted Eino and accepted the memorial.cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title='Spaceship Earth' to land in Georgia | date=2005-11-04 | publisher=U.P.I. | url =http://www.lexisnexis.com/ | work =UPI | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-28 | language = ]

Today the sculpture resides at Kennesaw State University adjacent to the Social Science building. Nearly six years after its conception Spaceship Earth was finished and unveiled on October 20, 2006. In late December 2006, only three months after installation on campus, the earth collapsed. The sculpture was intended to be a permanent reminder to future generations to take care of their delicate planet. After the collapse Eino attributed the disaster to vandalism but later reports associated the collapse to poor construction. Reconstruction was to begin in February 2007 but was delayed until July and is scheduled to be completed by the end of October 2007.

ee also

*David Brower
*Kennesaw State University

References

External links

* [http://www.kennesaw.edu/spaceshipearth/| KSU Spaceship Earth homepage]
* [http://www.savespaceshipearth.com Save Spaceship Earth homepage]