''Untitled (Jazz Musicians)'' is an

outdoor sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable s ...

by American artist John Spaulding. It is located on the border of

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 38th-largest by area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 17th-most populous o ...

(IUPUI) campus, near downtown Indianapolis,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

, at the corner intersection of

Indiana Avenue Indiana Avenue is a historic area in downtown and is one of seven designated cultural districts in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indiana Avenue was, during its glory days, an African American cultural center of the area. The Indiana Avenue Historic Dis ...

and West Street. The sculpture faces the historic Madame Walker Theatre Center, which is located across the street.

Description

''Untitled (Jazz Musicians)'' is a quintet of

linear Linearity is the property of a mathematical relationship ('' function'') that can be graphically represented as a straight line. Linearity is closely related to '' proportionality''. Examples in physics include rectilinear motion, the linear ...

jazz musicians fabricated in bronze.''Untitled (Jazz Musicians)'': Sculpture plaque
/ref> Each figure represents a jazz musician who was influential to the artist, and

. Spaulding’s father, James, is playing

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

; his older brother,

James Spaulding James Ralph Spaulding Jr. (born July 30, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United states, Spaulding attended the Chicago Cosmopolitan School of Music. Between 1957 and 1961, he was a member of Sun ...

Jr., is playing

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

; the

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gu ...

-player figure represents

Larry Ridley Larry Ridley (born September 3, 1937) is an American jazz bassist and music educator. Allmusic Biography/ref> Biography Ridley was born and reared in Indianapolis, Indiana. He began performing professionally while still in high school in the 1950 ...

;

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives f ...

is on

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standar ...

; and "Killer" Ray Appleton is on the

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

. Each bronze linear figure has a circular bronze base welded at its feet that is then situated upon a riser of concrete block. The dimensions of the sculpture as a whole are 8'5" x 19' x 19' (3 x 6 x 6 m). Each sculpture base is circular, approximately 1'6" (46 cm) in diameter and 1" (25 mm) in height. Each figure, not including its base, has a height of 8'5" (2.6 m). The exception is the seated drummer figure, which is approximately 4'6" (1.4 m) in height. Each figure has different width as follows: The saxophone player is 1'5" () wide, the bass player is 3'1" () wide, the drummer is 3'11" () wide, the trumpet player figure is 2'8" () wide, and the guitarist is 2'3" () wide.

Location and history

''Untitled (Jazz Musicians)'' was fabricated in 1995 and was commissioned by the Sexton Companies. The sculpture stands at the corner of West Street and Indiana Avenue, across from the historic Madame Walter Theatre Center. The outdoor sculpture is displayed in an area in front of the Gardens of Canal Court apartments. It is a tribute to the rich

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

heritage that was a part of the Indiana Avenue area. The location of ''Untitled (Jazz Musicians)'' reflects the spirit of this sculpture. Facing West Street, Indiana Avenue, and the Madame Walker Theatre Center, it reminds all those who pass of the rich cultural heritage that was and is part of this area near the IUPUI campus. Further west is another of Spaulding's sculptures, '' Jammin' on the Avenue'', which is installed at the entrance to historic

Lockefield Gardens Lockefield Gardens was the first public housing built in Indianapolis. Constructed during the years 1935 to 1938, it was built exclusively for low income African-Americans in Indianapolis. The complex was closed in 1976, and a number of structure ...

apartments, where the artist was born. Lockefield Gardens was the city's first major public housing project, which was racially segregated at first, in the heart of Indianapolis's African American community. New construction and renovation of Lockefield Gardens' seven remaining historic buildings are home to IUPUI students, staff, faculty, and anyone wishing to live in this cultural area, known as the Indiana Avenue Cultural District.

Vandalism

In May 2011, the figure representing a saxophone player was broken off at the knees and stolen. The sculpture also suffered several other cuts. A local newspaper reported on June 13, 2011, that police recovered the piece after it was discovered in a trash bin and brought to a scrap yard for sale.

Documentation

Museum Studies Museology or museum studies is the study of museums. It explores the history of museums and their role in society, as well as the activities they engage in, including curating, preservation, public programming, and education. Terminology The ...

course at IUPUI in collections care and management undertook the project of researching and reporting on the condition of 40 outdoor sculptures on the university campus. This documentation was influenced by the successful

Save Outdoor Sculpture! Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) was a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. The program was initiated in 1989 and ended in 1999. History Save Outdoor Sculpture! was initiated by Herit ...

, a 1989 campaign organized by Heritage Preservation: The National Institute of Conservation in partnership with the

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds ...

. Throughout the 1990s, over 7,000 volunteers nationwide have cataloged and assessed the condition of over 30,000 publicly accessible statues, monuments, and sculptures installed as outdoor public art across the United States.

References

External links

''Untitled (Jazz Musicians)'': Detail of patina on drummer''Untitled (Jazz Musicians)'': Detail of rear end damage on saxophone player''Untitled (Jazz Musicians)'': Sculpture plaque
{{coord, 39, 46.544, N, 86, 09.992, W, region:US_type:landmark_scale:500, display=title 1995 establishments in Indiana 1995 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Indiana Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Public Art Collection Musical instruments in art Outdoor sculptures in Indianapolis Sculptures of men in Indiana Statues in Indianapolis Statues of musicians Vandalized works of art in Indiana Cultural depictions of jazz musicians