When three sculptures were placed in the sitting area between Mitchell Memorial Library last semester, people avoided congregating there.
At least that’s what then-grad student Adam Jones found while working on his thesis project.
Jones, who received his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture in December, will hold a presentation on his findings at 11 a.m. today in Building A of the Landscape Architecture facility.
For his thesis, Jones experimented with the public’s perception of art. Between Mitchell Memorial Library and Hand Laboratory, he rotated three sculptures over time. One was abstract, one nonobjective and one realistic.
“I sat on the third floor of the library and took notes every time a person walked by the presentation,” Jones said. “I wrote down if they were male or female, how old they looked and their reaction.
“I know writing that much doesn’t really seem like hard work, but I was exhausted every night,” he added.
People stopped using the space when the art was introduced.
“They didn’t sit on the benches or socialize around them anymore. They just looked for a minute and kept walking,” assistant professor Bob Brzuszek said. “You would think that a university would be more open to public art. Look at UCLA.”
Brzuszek teaches design, landscape systems and plant studies.
Phillipe Chadwick is in his third year of landscape architecture. He said he expected such results.
“I mean, what to you expect? It’s a small town in the South,” he said.
In his lecture Jones will explain what might have attributed to these negative responses. All are invited to attend.