User:AMST30197PublicArt/sandbox/Plinth

Plinth is an outdoor sculpture by Scotch Irish artist David Lobdell (born 1958). It is located at the northeast entrance of Riley Hall of Art at the University of Notre Dame, near South Bend, Indiana, USA. Plinth is made of cast bronze and steel and stands 74" tall (including its base), 18" wide and 5/8" deep.

Description
Plinth is a sanding metal sculpture made of cast bronze and steel. It is composed of a pattern of mixed up letters on the front and back, intentionally trying to keep from spelling any words. Lobdell explains, “It represents condensed knowledge. What if you could hear the thoughts, prayers and concerns of everyone all at once?” Describing the title, he says, “A plinth is a pedestal which is the foundation upon which we place important things.” 2000 lb.

Historical information
Lobdell donated the sculpture to the University of Notre Dame in 2000 out of gratitude for the education he received at there. It was a gesture of appreciation particularly to William Kremer, professor of ceramics, who, Lobdell said, “changed my life and I wanted to express my thanks.” The sculpture has not been exhibited elsewhere.

Artist
Lobdell has exhibited his work across the United States, including an iron piece that is part of a sculpture garden at the Kemp Center for the Arts in Wichita Falls, Texas. His work has also been exhibited in England, Wales and Scotland, and part of the Beltane Fire Festival.

In 2001, Lobdell founded Iron Tribe, an event featuring international artists working with cast iron, forged steel and related media depicting iron arts. Iron Tribe is hosted biannually by Highlands University and includes casting sessions and a symposium. Lobdell also co-founded the Western Cast Iron Art Alliance in 2008 and serves as its president. He is currently Professor and Chair at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and has been faculty there for over 20 years.

Related Work
Lobdell’s current work utilizes binary code. He sees it as a “more anonymous form of writing (at least as an image).” His most recent series is called Binary Mandala, of which he has made 10 sculptures cast in iron or aluminum.