Petroglyphic Boulders
Petroglyphic BouldersGranodioriteBaldwin HallTwo oval boulders rest in the shade in front of Baldwin Hall, often unnoticed by passing students. Petroglyphs are not new to Georgian history, but not much is known about how these two arrived at UGA. The smaller boulder originates from Squirrel Mountain and was given to the university by White County citizens in the 1930s. The larger boulder comes from near Mount Tabor Church in Forsyth County. The businessman Hal Vaughn later donated the object in 1963.However, even less is known about the markings. In George White’s Statistics of Georgia (1849), the first written record of the Forsyth boulder, no one could explain the petroglyph symbols. If you come closer to these boulders, you will notice they share similar patterns of precise circles and lines. Walk around them or examine this 3D model online. Try to make observations from multiple angles. Have you seen these symbols before? What do they make you think of?These questions drive the speculation surrounding the boulders. Some stereotypical narratives state these patterns depict sacred or ritual dances. Former UGA Professor David Hally explains these markings may refer to celestial bodies or nature cycles. In another perspective, visual comparisons can also be made to Swift Creek (100-800 CE) stamped pottery. These patterns often served as maps of interaction. As you move on to the next stop, consider how you engage with other people and objects. How would you record your life and the interactions you make?Discussion Prompts:Have you learned about or engaged with Native American history? What kind of role does it play in your life? What kind of interactions do you have in your daily lives? Do you record them, and if so, how?Further Learning: To learn more about Swift Creek pottery, please examine this video from the Florida Museum of Natural History. To learn more about written records regarding the Forsyth Petroglyph, please examine this article.
Fine Arts Mural
Fine Arts MuralJean Charlot 1942While an artist-in-residence at the University of Georgia from 1941 to 1944, Jean Charlot painted the mural on the Fine Arts building which still occupies a prominent place on the University of Georgia’s North Campus. While drawing on many themes from antiquity, including Greek deities such as Pan and classical representations of comedy and tragedy, the vibrant color and fluid movement of the figures is thoroughly modern and evokes contemporary themes in Mexican artistic practice.Born in Paris, France, in 1898 to a French father and Mexican mother, Jean Charlot’s upbringing reflected the diversity of experience that would come to define his life. Having served in the French Army during the First World War, he moved to Mexico with his mother in 1921, where he worked with the famed Mexican painter Diego Rivera as an assistant. Charlot worked on several public art projects in Mexico City, and he made a religious pilgrimage to a Catholic shrine, an experience that impacted him greatly. He moved to New York City in the late 1920s and assisted the Carnegie Institution in its expedition to the ancient Maya ruins at Chichen Itza in the Mexican Yucatan. This trend of working with major U.S. establishments began his sustained involvement in art institutions and universities across the United States. To learn more about Jean Charlot, explore the web sources below. The first source is a contemporary report on Charlot’s mural shortly after he painted it. The second covers Charlot’s life and achievements. Finally, the third link will take you to an interactive map of Charlot’s works of art across the globe.Local News Report: https://jeancharlot.org/english-texts/1944%20Fresco%20Murals%20U%20GA.pdfCharlot's Life: https://jeancharlot.org/books-on-jc/1976_ethel-moore_gma-exhibition.pdfGlobal Map of Charlot's Murals: https://uhmagis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=455f3f2e2fb44633b3aba9863effec7d
Mother and Child
Abbot PattisonMother and Child1953White MarbleNext to Fine Arts buildingA sense of curiosity comes from the relatively unknown concept of this piece. Does the piece represent Patinson and his own mother? Does it represent some unknown time of Patinson’s life? Or does the sculpture create its own meaning for each person who views it?This work of abstract art was created by Abbott Pattinson during his time as a visiting artist at UGA. Pattinson came to UGA in 1953 and created outdoor murals, allowing students to view his techniques as he worked. Many of his works are still on public display throughout Chicago, in the Whitney Museum in New York, the Museum of the Israeli State in Jerusalem, and even in Buckingham Palace.Not much is known about the meaning behind this work, but it is known that Pattinson had a strong relationship with his mother who encouraged him to pursue art and helped send him to the Art Institute of Chicago at the age of 10.. Pattinson specifically used this piece as a way to showcase his artistic purpose of individualism in his work, while keeping reverence for the artists that came before him to the students and faculty at UGA. As the visiting sculptor, he wanted everyone to see what tools, materials, and techniques he used in his work. Activity: Look at all four sides of the piece and think about what the form of the piece represents. Now visit the link attached below that discusses Pattinson’s background and read the short biography. Look at all 4 sides of the piece again. Now that you know his background, what do you think Pattinson meant in the form of the piece? https://arts.uchicago.edu/public-art-campus/browse-artist/abbott-pattison
Memorial Hall Bulldog
Memorial Hall BulldogGene Owens 1958Sculpture: Bronze; Base: Black MarbleWho was the University of Georgia mascot before Uga? Although the first official mascot of the university was the goat, other bulldogs also took on the role before the Uga legacy. Mike, an English Bulldog, was the mascot from 1951 to 1955 and was the last official mascot before Uga I was introduced in 1956. He was the inspiration and model behind this sculpture, cast by Gene Owens as his master’s thesis project in 1958. Owens, then a graduate student from Fort Worth, Texas, spent half of a year working on his project: a full three months on preliminary sketches alone! The bronze sculpture has since found its place in the realm of UGA student culture at its location at the center of campus. Many different events happen in the space just steps away from its base. It was once even the site of chicken sacrifices after the sculpture’s installation! The bulldog, and the building nearby, Memorial Hall, also surprisingly played a role in Black student life after UGA integrated in 1961. It was the designated hangout spot for Black students where they could freely express themselves. Black fraternities and sororities also thrived at Memorial. All this helped cement the building and its surroundings as an important hub of the cultivation of Black culture at UGA.
Granite Bulldog
Granite BulldogSteve Mooney1992Sculpture: White Granite; Base: Black Marble*Note: To reach this art piece, you must go down the outside stairs on the east side of Tate Student Center, then take a left. You will be below the bridge and the stadium.Immense yourself with the gameday sounds of Sanford Stadium by listening to the attached sound file.Did you know that UGA formed its first football team more than 100 years ago? The university’s football team played their first official game against Mercer University in 1892. The Elbert County Bulldog Club donated this granite bulldog in 1992 for the 100th anniversary of UGA football. Vince Dooley, former Coach and then-Athletic Director, had put in a special request for the statue. Steve Mooney, the craftsman, stated that it was his “most grandiose project”. He wasn’t wrong; it took him eight months to complete! Once installed at the east end zone of Sanford Stadium, the statue became a prominent and familiar figure. Everyone in the stands could see it. Players also rallied around the statue and petted it for good luck before games.But in 2018, renovation plans for that section of the stadium forced the statue to a less prominent location: the northwest corner of the stadium. This resulted in controversy, as members of the Elbert County Bulldog Club were upset that the pride and joy of their town was now seen by fewer people. The dispute has since been dropped, and today the thousands of visitors who visit the stadium on gamedays can now walk up to it and take photos.Discussion Question:Which location do you think is better: the East End Zone near the field, or the open-access location in the NW corner? Are there advantages or disadvantages to either location?
