Expedition: Christian Petersen part 3

christian petersen can best be known by the heritage he bequeathed to iowa and to the world the pieces of sculpture you have seen i bought a small portion of the artist total work the accomplishment of a compassionate man a taciturn man danish-born Iowan by adoption christian petersen was asked by many why he chose to stay at Iowa State this is his answer as he gave it one of the reasons that I came to that chose to stay at this sort of an institution where they did not have a much art to and the part of their curriculum and I figured I could reach people here from this kind of an institution that I wouldn't in a permit from a university or any other place like that fit because they you would get into in the to get into this turmoil of of the conflicting ideas in structure and all this modern isn't so forth and I've always tried to go my own way and to bring that to the farmers here where we could start that we could start a the culture I've always maintained if we wanted to have a true American art it had to start in the Midwest that was my main reason to stay christian petersen referred to his last statue as his greatest in a moment you will see it as it was created this is the Fisher community center in Marshalltown it is here that Christian Peterson's last steps who will stand mr. William Fisher founder of the center will tell you why when the community center was in the development stage I had hoped that it event eventually would be enhanced by some of the world's finest art and we now have some very pleasing examples of French Impressionists and we also have continuous showings of contemporary artists not long ago Chris Peterson and I became closely associated in an idea for an important sculpture for the center to Krista piece should be symbolical of the center itself the idea for a piece of sculpture became a great challenge to him Chris and I were frequently together and like all these other acquaintances I'm sure I developed a great admiration for this man a good many ideas for the sculptural were discussed and they were discarded because he thought they were too ordinary I was hoping for something original from Chris something original and design and symbolism that would also truly reflect reflect Chris and his warm sensitive character his tenderness and his strength his courage and his understanding of human nature this is the artist at work on his last statue the tools are his the idea is the skill his this man who came to Iowa and stayed to create to beautify to teach christian petersen died april four 1961 three days after signing his final work he will be remembered he has no finer tribute than his own words for thus did christian petersen shortly before his death describe his last work well i feel that this piece that I've just done is probably most important piece to that offended yes I have been carried out an idea that I have 18 would figure they're holding aloft the child I want to symbolize the this generation helping the next generation to see beyond sea view on what he was been able to see that so the child is looking into the future having a little more light you