Nationality
American
Artist Dates
1930-2010
Title of Work
Herman Rusch 1
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Date of Work
ca. 1976
Medium
Super 8 film
Identification #
JSP-HR-76.001
Collection/Provenance
Art & Design Study Collection: James Smith Pierce Film Collection
Status
Stored: JSP.FAST.FILM BOX 2
Location
UND Art Collections Repository
Artist Bio
Born in Brooklyn, New York, James Smith Pierce received his PhD in art history from Harvard University. During his career as a professor, Pierce also became an accomplished artist, whose artworks were included in important exhibitions (including a show on land art at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC) and books on contemporary earthworks and site-specific sculpture. Pierce was also a photographer, exhibition curator, and art collector.
Additional Information
About Herman Rusch:
Herman Rusch retired and bought the Prairie Moon Dance Pavilion in 1952. He used this building and filled the space with natural phenomena, curios, unusual machines, and personal mementos. He constructed his first stone planter in 1958, this sparked his interest in creating and obtaining stone sculptures and planters. Rusch built an arched fence that spanned 260 feet and introduced color to his work. From here, he began to add color to freshly mixed concrete and add bits of seashells and broken bottles to his sculptures.
In addition to creating his own sculptures, Rusch also purchased artwork from other artists and by 1959, he had acquired almost 40 pieces. At the age of 94, Rusch sold the Prairie Moon at an auction and almost all the artwork from the pavilion was dispersed. He died eleven days after his 100thbirthday leaving behind a self-portrait painted on concrete watching over the pavilion and his art. In 1992, the Kohler Foundation purchased and restored the Prairie Moon Dance Pavilion to recognize self-taught artists.
Condition
Very good.
Condition Notes
Digitally preserved 2021.
Rights
Images and film are provided for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced in any form without written consent. ©University of North Dakota. All rights reserved.