Wall Construction
- Artist:
- Type: Sculpture
- Medium: Mural
- Production Date: 1968 - 1969
- Description: This wall construction or mural was commissioned by the University Art Committee for the original Pathfoot Dining Room and is typical of Mary Martin's work, in that movement is implied both in a system of positive and negative spaces, and also in the play of light over mirrored surfaces. The piece was always intended to be moveable and modular (ie so that different parts could be displayed in various locations) though this has apparently never happened. This turned out to be Mary Martin's last public commission and she sadly died before it was installed.
Here are some of Mary Martin's early notes on the University of Stirling project:
'The Problem:To provide a unit of practical dimensions which can be used in varying situations and number of different parts of a changing building but firstly to use it in this particular situation, which is an abnormally long shape.
-Plane is simple to make but could be dangerous in use, unless it is made of 1/8" aluminium and possibly unbevelled.
-Box is more complicated to make and a move back rather than forward.-
-Angle 45 is desirable. Necessary if reflection is used. If colour is used a lower angle would work but not so simple to make.
-Colour: Bright colour is good in this particular situation. It is an additional factor in stretching a permutation to this length. On the other hand aluminium cross-lit could look beautiful. There is the possibility of using colour-adonised aluminium.'
It was a simple, part-polished aluminium that was used in the final piece, without colour, although early reviews do mention colour being reflected, as it was placed lower on the wall, and in a different location than its current position.
Douglas Hall spoke of the ' full play to the movement of the viewer along its length and all the reflections of light, colour and movement that it takes from its surroundings'. - Dimensions: The mural is constructed from 8 wooden panels in a linear horizontal arrangement. All six middle panels measure 243.5cm by 107cm while the two end panels measure 162cm by 107cm. The middle six panels are decorated with sections of aluminium sheet to form a regular pattern. Each aluminium sheet section measures 20.5cm by 28.5cm and there are 48 of them on each of the middle six wooden panels (in 4 rows of 12). They are set at 45 degrees to the supporting wooden panel (by means of wood blocks), arranged in an alternating pattern to reflect light. The two smaller end wooden panels are blank and have no aluminium sheet sections.
This text was taken from the 2002 conservation document - see folder online - Digital Copy:A digital copy exists.
- Location: Pathfoot Crush Hall Gallery
- Related Material: AC/AF/M/17
- Related Material: UA/C/9/42
- Related Material: AC/OF/1969/6
- Accession Number: 1969.6
- Contact: University of Stirling Art Collection
