Untitled

Untitled

Untitled, a bronze work by Paul Soldner '46 of Aspen Colo., is placed at the College Avenue entrance to Centennial Hall. The tensile strength of bronze gives the artist freedom to project the object out dramatically over a narrow base, creating the sense that the piece might leave its pedestal and take flight.

Soldner, a 1946 Bluffton graduate, is an internationally-known artist who has conducted more than 400 workshops, invented Soldner potter's wheels and clay mixers and was instrumental in developing "American" style raku as well as popularizing low-fire salt fuming. President of Soldner Pottery Equipment, Inc., and founder of Anderson Ranch Arts Center, he has had more than 300 solo exhibits and a retrospective in 1991 that traveled to 12 venues. He earned a master of fine arts from Los Angeles County Art Institute, a master of arts from the University of Colorado, and is professor of art emeritus of Scripps College.

"Bluffton gave me a fundamental basis in clay. It was a good place to start. My sculpture in the garden is a one-of-a-kind experiment with a new technique in casting clay to bronze," said Soldner. "Studying at Bluffton was a pleasure. I have fond memories of Professor Klassen. He offered the freedom students needed to go where they needed to go next. In this 'learning by osmosis,' students and professor worked side by side, each doing their own thing."