Mather to Unveil Sculpture

The Mather House courtyard will soon be the home of an 800-pound, 10-foot sculpture of three abstract figures holding musical instruments, said House Master Jeffrey G. Williamson yesterday.

The sculpture, which was created this winter by house resident Adam I. Prince '91, was commissioned by Williamson, who said he has recently "been trying to increase awareness of the arts at Mather."

Prince, a government concentrator, said that his work was partially inspired by Picasso's cubist painting, "Three Musicians," and that his main goal was to create a sculpture that would "enliven the courtyard."

The sculpture, made from welded radiators, steel grates and pipes, will be unveiled as soon as warm weather arrives, since its base cannot be installed while the ground is still frozen, Prince said.

Prince, who was contacted by the house master last fall, accepted the commission with "great excitement," Williamson said.

Prince began work on the 10-foot-tall piece after Thanksgiving and finished in January. The sculpture is now being held in storage at the Carpenter Center, he said.

"I wanted a piece people could interact with," said Prince, whose two paintings are currently on display at the Harvard Union.

"This work invites people to take a look at it, stand close and examine it from all angles," Prince said.

For Williamson, this project appeared to be "a great way to get Mather students involved in the arts," he said.

"It seemed like a good idea to have a sculpture that students could not simply avoid," said Williamson. "Adam's work certainly stands out and will force people to confront it whenever they walk through the courtyard."

Williamson said he decided to commission the work because he was impressed with the bold design of the sculpture's model and because Prince was a Mather House resident.

"It seemed like the obvious thing to do," Williamson said.

Despite his own personal feelings for the design, which he called "fantastic," Williamson said he expected that not everyone would share his opinions.

"The sculpture is very abstract and modern, and therefore is certain to generate some controversy when it is unveiled later this year," said the house master.

Williamson also said that he envisions Prince's work as the first of many such artistic projects. The house master's future plans include considering the addition of paintings or frescoes "if the right student comes down the pike," he said.