“Spirit in the Sky” Kinetic Sculpture Added to FSC Art Collection
October 7, 2019
Sculptor Jeff Kahn
There’s a dynamic new sculpture on campus.
“Spirit in the Sky,” created by kinetic artist Jeff Kahn, can be found in front of the School of Business, opposite Whitman Hall. The piece was commissioned by FSC’s Public Art Task Force, whose job it is to oversee the use of art in public spaces on campus.
Inspired by Farmingdale’s recent Centennial Commencement celebration, the Task Force was looking for a piece that would represent the passage of time.
It could mean that, but the artist is more liberal about how the piece can be understood.
“Sculpture can be interpreted in a number of ways,” says Kahn. “I make the sculpture and don’t spend a lot of time interpreting it.
“I knew what they were looking for when they originally approached me, but I let the sculpture determine itself.”
Kahn says he was inspired less by the committee’s passage-of-time theme, and more by how FSC has morphed from an agricultural school into a college of technology. He also took note of the multitude of building styles on campus. All in all, he says, “It very possibly is the most difficult one I’ve done. I’m really thankful it worked out.”
The piece took four months to complete, Kahn working an average of seven hours a day in his Lenhartsville, PA studio. The sculpture is made of marine-grade aluminum and stainless steel.
“I’m getting one-word superlatives from my colleagues, like ‘Wow’ and ‘Awesome,'” says Task Force co-chair Professor George Fernandez, assistant professor of Visual Communications. “It’s just perfect for that space. People just stand and stare. It’s hypnotizing.”
Urban Horticulture and Design Professor Michael Veracka, the Task Force’s other co-chair, echoes Professor Fernandez’s observation.
“To me it epitomizes how the best public art allows each viewer to marvel at its beauty, interpret its meaning, yet simply enjoy how the piece takes on a life of its own, reflecting how our life changes too, often in ways we never anticipate!”
The piece was acquired with the support of Auxiliary Services Corporation and FSC Administration.
