Bent Yellow

This is the second installment of our look at large scale artwork in Kingston. This week’s piece is called Module No. 6 – Bent Yellow and was created by Canadian artist, Raymond Spiers. The work sits in the north courtyard of Duncan McArthur Hall on Queen’s campus and was commissioned by the Art Purchase Committee for Duncan McArthur Hall in 1972.

The story behind this one is pretty cool. Bent Yellow is one of a series of pieces in which Spiers attempts to share the creative process with the viewer. He created small, hand-held versions of simple, moveable forms which could be put together in various arrangements. The Dean’s Committee for Art Purchases had the opportunity play with the modules and to select the final arrangement of the sculpture. The work we see above is the enlarged replica of that arrangement. Of course, the large-scale version is not in moveable pieces like its miniature counterpart.

The work is a great example of the hands-on approach that was explored by many artists in the 1970s. The goal was to engage the viewers in the creation process. Bent Yellow is made of fibreglass over a foam core. Fibreglass was a new material at the time and was heavily explored by artists of this period. Seen as strong and lightweight, it was the perfect medium for this type of work. Go see it for yourself!