Clio Logo
This is a contributing entry for Outdoor Sculptures on the UCSB Campus and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.

Clement Meadmore's Up Ended

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Almost invisible in front of the Art Building despite its large size, Up Ended by Clement Meadmore stands at the entrance of the Arts Building, on a pile of stones and flanked by palm trees and is made of cor-ten steel and Black paint. The work was originally displayed near North Hall, but was moved into the shady front of the Art Building. The piece announces the Art Building and is as austere as the dark concrete and cinderblock walls of the Art Building, blending in almost seamlessly. However, the work also contrasts with the horizontal and vertical lines of the Arts Building with its curves, emphasizing the impressive skill to create the smooth curve.

Images

Building, Shade, Sky, Urban design

Clement Meadmore's Up Ended

Sky, Cloud, Shade, Building

Cloud, Sky, Window, Plant

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Up Ended, one of Clement Meadmore’s earlier works, is a complex blend of artistic vocabularies. Throughout his career, Meadmore experimented with the torsion, curve, smooth surface, and underlying geometry, Up Ended is similar to other Minimalist works of the 1960’s. Similarities could be drawn between this work and the likes of Richard Serra’s public art installations working with metal. The rigid material and blunt-squared ends contrast sharply with the work’s fluid curves and evocative hollows, creating a dynamic tension between ordered stability and gestural movement. Meadmore also cites both Constructivism and Expressionism as art movements that have influenced his work. The volume and poetry of Up Ended invite viewers to explore their own physical and interpretive relationship to the piece. 

Sources

Dewart, Niki. Sculpture and Visual Arts Guidebook, January 1st 2005.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Accession No. 1985.52

Additional Information