The Chambered Nautilus
Name/Title
The Chambered NautilusContext
Part of a series of art created specifically for the old North Milwaukee/Villard Library by Kenneth Lamers and his associate Peter Mazurek. Mr. Lamers designed the North Milwaukee Library while working with Burroughs & Van Lanen Architects. The collection consisted of a main wall sculpture, two wall hangings, and four supplementary "wall plaques." This work is the first of the four wall plaques. According to the artists, "[t]he central theme for the seven pieces of art in the library emerges from concepts which were developed for the main wall sculpture ... An outgrowth of early discussion between the artists and Mr. Nolan Neds, Administrator of Branch Libraries, was an eagerness to express some of the philosophy of Marshall MacLuhan's [sic: McLuhan's] 'The Medium is the Massage' [sic: Message]." Thus, the art series explores three dimensions of McLuhan's philosophy: "1) Man's relationship to a global community (main sculpture); 2) Man's relationship to his immediate community and to himself (wall hangings); and 3) Individual discovery of randomly selected man-made and natural objects (wall plaques)." From the artists' statement: "While it becomes most rewarding for an artist to interpret in new forms, his role can also be to focus attention on the innate beauty of natural and man-made objects. The Chambered Nautilus is a seashell that reveals its total beauty when cut apart. The clear plastic resin into which it is cast has reflective qualities which enable the viewer to experience the inside and outside at once."Collection
Wisconsin Art Collection, Permanent Art CollectionAcquisition
Accession
1970.8Source or Donor
Kenneth LamersAcquisition Method
PurchaseMade/Created
Artist Information
Kenneth Lamers
Peter Mazurek