WOI-TV: Expedition - Christian Petersen

yep expedition question peterson this is the studio of an artist the tools are his his mark is on lamont plaster cast the stone visited and the clay his markers on the iowa state university campus where it came in 1934 and stayed as artists in residents who create to beautify, to teach his name christian peterson christian peterson this large silent shaggy man born in denmark Brought by his parents to this country at the age of nine trained as an engraver and designer his specialty medals and medallions Reputed, to have been one of the three top men in america in this field this renowned accorded him before he reached the age of 30 these are examples of his work because all arts are in the main subject To the same basic rules the true artist is able to apply the knowledge gained in one medium to the problems of another? this christian peterson did When he chose to become a sculptor the size the scope of, his work changed stone and clay these became his materials Once again he was rewarded with success christian peterson's work on the iowa state university campus began in the dairy industry courtyard it was to do this bar relieved that he was brought here in 1934 so pleased were the college administrators with his work that he was asked to join the faculty both as an artist and a teacher Christian peterson's art helped to make the ames campus one of the most beautiful in the world in the veterinary medicine quadrangle stands this 7-foot, terracotta figure the mother dog the hurt puppy held in the strong gentle skilled hands of the veterinarian the mother dog confident trusting the bar relief depicting man's gifts to the animal and in return the animals gifts to man a monument, to those who are part of this most noble profession and these are the students as christian petersen saw them these two are part of a carefully planned group of statues which will be erected soon scattered now they wait to be set in stone to be gathered together they have been given life and warmth by a man whose affection and respect for them flowed from his strong hand christian petersen saw the students as an observer a recorder and interpreter and artist he knew them as a teacher frequently he said that he felt possibly his most significant work had been that of teaching the sculptor students at the university These statues when set in place will become as permanence a part of the daily life of the iowa state university students as these figures on either side of the stairway in the library students forever reading and glancing from books of stone this, woman is part of the four seasons fountain the visualization of this osage indian champ Lo i come to the sacred planting lo the tender shoot breaks through the ground lo i reap the bountiful harvest low there is joy in my house near the home economics building there is another fountain a small pool Seen from above it is a wedding ring the children are its jewels these other children of light and he loves them the smiling dimpled faces the dreams of childhood captured forever by the artists hand these are the children of light the rainbow filled eyes the treasures of youth held tight by tiny hands children flesh and stone' a bond between children The happy children children as seen by a man who loved them and understood them these are the children of light but what of the children of darkness the children of sorrow this is such a child These lines were written by jc cunningham a friend of the artists after he had seen drought The brave child hope lies starving on the mothers needs Her shrunken breasts have failed when empty skies mocked back the cry for rain both, day and night the cattle moan for drink and parcel forks of may i Poised the ugly buzzards circle slow to drop like plummets when some beasts staggering falls to rise no more the dried-up corn breaks from its roots and burning winds suck added heat from pastures dry as parchment from a desert tune the pueblos calls his plans an hour-by-hour Repeats his chance and thinks by agony and dance to draw from god's displease the blessing of the rain The pale-faced knows no chance no dance he cannot think that god would change his laws for one small place he cannot pray for rain he can but dumbly stared while hope lies died on the mother's need natural disasters christian petersen saw them as trials to be born with courage he knew courage was moved to hold it high as the mother holds her child from the threatening waters of the blood courage in a cotton dress natural disasters are those that men create the protective gesture is as old as man himself route flood wore mirrored in the faces of children and the mothers who tried to protect them the tragedies of this world the hope of this world shining in the eyes of another child another mother The madonna of the school The children who have come to admire her son as such is the kingdom of heaven christian peterson did many religious pieces these are some of, his finest st. Bernard of clairvaux trappist mark advisor to pope's and kings madonna and child a wood guard st. Francis xavier patron saint of missions this 14-foot figure stands in the basilica at dyersville pope pius the tenth subsequently canonized known as the children's fourth the crucifixion a wood carbon woman at prayer christ before pilots the bound christ the innocent christ christ condemned 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 that chose to stay at this sort of an institution where they did not have much art to the part of the 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 because the the you would get into and they they'd get into this turmoil of of conflicting Ideas and disruption all this modernism 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 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 kristian peterson's last statue 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 - chris the 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 sculpture were discussed and they were discarded because he thought they were too ordinary i was hoping for something original from chris something original in 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 peterson died april 4th 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 described his last work well i feel that this piece that i've just done it's probably The most important piece to defendants yes i have carried out an idea that i Have one? eight foot figure they're holding aloft the child i want to symbolize the this generation helping The next generation, to see beyond? See beyond what he was been able to see that so the child is looking into the future having a little more light