Window's Edge

  Robert Dixon, 1991

"Window's Edge" in its original location, between Brookens Library and the Public Affairs Center

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SSU Weekly, Sept. 19, 1991

“Window’s Edge” to be dedicated

“Window’s Edge,” a 20-foot steel sculpture by Robert Dixon, associate professor of visual arts, will be officially dedicated in honor of George Hoffmann, one of the people instrumental In the founding of Sangamon State University, during campus ceremonies scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. Hoffmann was the chairman of the Springfield Committee for Higher Education and worked to secure legislative approval for the location of a bachelor’s degree granting Institution in the capital city.

The sculpture, located between the Public Affairs Center and the new Health and Sciences Building, was first set In place last May. Finishing touches, including a final coat of paint, were completed during June and July. Actual creation of the sculpture, which was commissioned by an anonymous donor, took much longer, according to Dixon. Although the idea to put a major art work on campus first came up In 1988, planning and funding concerns consumed nearly two years. Conceptualization and construction was completed in a little less than a year.

Dixon views his sculpture as a study of polarity, of contrasts. “The contrast of shadows,” he explains, “is as vitally important to this finished work as the presence of light Is to the process of seeing.” Dixon also tried to tailor “Window’s Edge” to the SSU campus: “All the work’s angles compliment and support the architecture of the surrounding buildings, giving the sculpture a feeling of belonging.”

Dixon sculptures also can be found on the campuses of Doane College in Crete, Neb., and Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg.

 

In 2004, "Window's Edge" was moved to its current location near the north entrance to campus.

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