Descriptive Essay Impermanent Column - 929 Words

For some, the smallest things can have the greatest impact on their life. People tend to be shaped by the things that are in their environment. Occasionally, people will walk passed, stop and stare or even admire public art. The public art may or may not influence their life based off of how effective its design is and how fitting it is for its surroundings. An influential sculpture entitled â€Å"Impermanent Column† is located at the University of Illinois in Springfield. This piece of public art is located at the entrance of the university (Impermanent Column). It was created by a graduate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago named Thomas Skomski in 1993 (Thomas Skomski†). Skomski intended for this public art to be placed on a†¦show more content†¦The sculpture is also surrounded by trees and visible from one of the main roads that leads to the university. Besides the physical abritutions, the Impermanent Column’s elements of design, which ar e used to create a core concept and a visual language, help add to Skomski’s meaning of his public art (Research Guides†). By taking a closer look at the Impermanent Column, a change in color and texture can be observed. The color is faded and darkened in an abundance of spots on the piece of art. From afar, the texture appears to be smooth and hard. Up close, it is easy to see all of the imperfections. There are cracks, chips, indentations, and rough surfaces all over this artwork. Due to the Impermanent Column being outside because it is art for the public, it is not surprising that there is some wear and tear on the sculpture since it has to withstand Illinois’s wide range of weather conditions. These elements of design help generate a meaningful message from marveling at Skomski’s piece. As previously mentioned, Skomski’s underlying meaning behind the Impermanent Column is that it exemplifies change. The center part of the columns where it almost looks broken is where one of the main points of change is emphasised. This section of the Impermanent Column showcases that change â€Å"cannot be confined† because it will occur â€Å"with or without acceptance of it† (Henderson). Skomski’s message is fitting for a university because students go through a major change in their