About the artwork
John Aiken
Untitled, 2000
Dimensions(h x w x d): 155" x 73" x 38" (grey), 119" x 104" x 84" (black)
African and Portuguese granite, and lithograph on paper
Located on the Urban Plaza and in the elevator vestibules in Urban Center
A sculptural installation on the plaza that includes two large-scale geometric sculptures of Portuguese and African granite, and a design of elongated ovals and patterns in the plaza ground. The project also included a series of small geometric sculptures and lithographic prints, displayed inside the Urban Center. From artist John Aiken’s proposal: “The relationship which will exist between the views from the offices and the public spaces and the monoliths and landscape elements will establish an awareness of the shapes used as motifs/symbols. Distance and scale will reduce the monumental quality of the two monoliths to more intimate ‘objects’ located in the complex environment of the plaza ... I propose to make a series of small sculptures based on the two large monoliths which are set in the plaza ... In addition I worked on a series of large lithographic prints while in Portland over the summer; these have a direct relationship with the sculptures placed in the plaza and the smaller works located within the building. These prints would continue the sense of motion into the building already established by the largest pavement ellipse and generate a new scale for the small objects on the upper levels.”
About the artist
John Aiken is a Northern Irish artist born in Belfast. He studied at the Chelsea School of Art, London from 1968–1973, and the British School at Rome, 1973–1975. He was Slade Professor of Fine Arts and director of the Slade School of Fine Art at University College London from 2000 to 2012; since 2012, he has served as professor of fine arts and director of the Academy of Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University.
Aiken has exhibited in galleries and museums internationally. He has a strong commitment to public art and its interface with architecture and urban environments, and has completed many collaborative projects and public commissions in Europe, the USA and China.
This work was acquired through Oregon's Percent for Art in Public Places Program, managed by the Oregon Arts Commission.
Banner image: photo by Mary McVein.