Hedging Space

A walk between Peyton and Fine halls toward the new football stadium used to be just that — a walk. These days, however, that same walk leads past a treasure. It might not be apparent at first, but those three gigantic rusty steel ribbons configured in a faint S-shape make up an impressive piece of artwork by an equally impressive sculptor.

These aren't just any steel ribbons. Together, they are Princeton's newest modern artistic acquisition, titled "The Hedgehog and the Fox." The sculpture is by Richard Serra, whom many consider the 20th century's most important sculptor.

Upon first encountering "The Hedgehog and the Fox," I questioned whether it was really art. As far as I could tell, the sculpture's title had nothing to do with its physical appearance. The overwhelming impression was of its immense size.

As I approached the steel monument, Tony Carignan, a grounds and building maintenance worker, was hosing it down. Carignan had been instructed to spray the sculpture with water in order to heighten the reddish-brown rust color of the steel ribbons.

I left in a state of awe and confusion as to the sculpture's purpose and meaning.

"The Hedgehog and the Fox," however, is more easily understandable when viewed in the context of Serra's background and other artistic works. Serra's interest in steel as an art medium began when he was a young man working in steel mills to finance his education.

Harold Foster, a professor in the art and archaeology department, is the University's resident expert on Serra. According to Foster, the artist is a product of the industrial revolution and its emphasis on engineering. He is unique because he works outside the traditional artist's studio and uses the world of urbanization and industrialization to create.

During a lecture at Yale in 1990, Serra remarked, "To be able to enter into a steel mill, a shipyard, a thermal plant and extend both their work and my needs is a way of becoming an active producer within a given technology, not a manipulator or consumer of a found industrial product." This statement encapsulates Serra's artistic philosophy.

Another important factor in Serra's work is its connection to the surrounding environment. Serra's own words best describe this relationship: "The works become part of the site and restructure both conceptually and perceptually the organization of the site."

According to Foster, "The Hedgehog and the Fox" serves to create a link between the football stadium and Peyton and Fine halls. "It gives the space scale," he said.

Foster has emphasized Serra's pioneering role in the advancement of sculpture without the pedestal in various essays. Instead of statues and sculptures being elevated into a realm above humans, Foster wrote, "sculpture was shifted into the physical space of actual viewers — a shift that allowed this art to engage bodies and sites more directly, more sensuously, than it ever had before."

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A walk right through the steel ribbons of "The Hedgehog and the Fox," makes this new approach to sculpture comprehensible. The steel curves make it impossible to follow a straight path, and the effect is almost dizzying. The sky somehow looks different; the sculpture reframes the view of the environment above.

Serra's pioneering role in the shift from mere observation of art to interaction is controversial and has stirred issues of censorship. In 1989, after a government agency removed and damaged Serra's "Tilted Arc" from the Federal Plaza in New York, a suit was filed in U.S. District Court as to whether the act was a form of censorship or a judgment based on unfavorable physical appeal. The court ruled the latter, but not before heavy debate in the press.

Despite the controversy surrounding Serra's sculptures, his works are not intended to advance any political or social agenda. Foster said that the meaning of his sculptures lies in "the bodily experience." Once a Serra sculpture has been erected, it becomes a part of the surrounding environment. Its purpose lies in how it affects the viewer — physically or emotionally.

"How the work alters the site is the issue, not the persona of the author," Serra said during the 1990 Yale lecture.

So what is the meaning of the title, "The Hedgehog and the Fox"? It alludes to an ancient Greek proverb about finding balance in one's life. Foster's words best explain the adage: "There are those who follow on principle in all they do — the hedgehogs — and those who look to different approaches at the same time — the foxes. The suggestion is that students might negotiate a balance between these two ways."

Foster warned against assigning too much significance to the title's meaning. The sculpture's true importance lies in the way it alters its surrounding landscape and the body and movements of the viewer. There is no real intended "meaning." Instead, "The Hedgehog and the Fox" induces passers-by to take a closer look at their environment and to experience it in a new and different way.

There is another story behind "The Hedgehog and the Fox" — the story of the late Peter Joseph '72, the man who commissioned the sculpture.

Joseph was a successful lawyer and investment banker who used his financial success to further his interest in the arts. He served as a board member for the American Ballet Theater and founded the Peter Joseph Gallery in New York because of his immense interest in handcrafted furniture. Tragically, this patron of the arts died of cancer in 1998.

Professor John Fleming, who developed a close friendship with Joseph as the master of Wilson College in 1969, said Joseph was "a testimony to what Princeton can do for a young man."

It was during his years at the University that Joseph developed a keen interest in the visual arts. In particular, he was fascinated by modern, plastic and domestic art, as well as handcrafted furniture. Though he was a hugely successful businessman, it was his genuine interest in cultivating intellectual and artistic activity that made him truly admirable, Fleming said.

The installation of "The Hedgehog and the Fox" is the product of the combination of Joseph's admiration for Serra's work and his love for Princeton.

In recognition and celebration of Joseph's contribution to the University art community, the Art Museum is currently showcasing "Material Language: Small-Scale Sculpture after 1950." The exhibition will be on display through Dec. 30.

"Material Language" consists of small-scale sculptures by artists prominent in the 1950s, such as Jasper Johns and Leo Steppat, as well as works by artists closer to Serra's generation, including Christopher Wilmarth. The exhibit has been designed to complement "The Hedgehog and the Fox" by providing a larger picture of modern sculpture in Serra's time.

There are many reasons why "The Hedgehog and the Fox" is important and valuable to the Princeton community. The simplest reason was given by Foster: "It's a very good piece by a very important artist — that should be reason enough."

Besides being an exceptional addition to the University's collection of major outdoor artworks, "The Hedgehog and the Fox" serves as a memorial to an exemplary Princeton graduate. Next time you walk pass those gigantic steel ribbons, stop and take a closer look. You might see your surroundings in a completely new light.

The dedication ceremony for "The Hedgehog and the Fox"will take place Friday at 2:30 p.m.