The+Spider



**Name of the Piece: The Spider** This piece is made up of many stainless steel beams painted yellow. The 3-D bars are connected to each other by three very stable round screw-like objects that connect the bars. The things that connect the bars aren’t stainless steel, and in result they are starting to rust. This really abstract and cool piece begins with three beams that start on the bottom of the brick wall facing vertically and aren’t connected to each other. Each of the beams are connected to two others that weave. The beam that starts on the bottom left weaves to the top right. The beam that starts on the bottom right weaves to the middle on top. The beam that starts in the middle weaves to the top left. All these bars are also connected to the brick wall.


 * Common Nickname: The Spider - The French Fries **


 * Artist: John Henry ** born in 1943. John Henry now lives in Tennesee. He always has these simple painted metal beams, and by lining them up together and criss-crossing them, he makes these large pieces. He likes to preserve his work and keep it in the best shape, but it’s not easy and requires lots of work. He has made lots of big sculptures all around the world including Europe, Asia, and the United States.


 * Medium**: Stainless steel beams.


 * Location** : Third floor hallway. In shaft on New Gym side. Can see from windows or under it when entering courtyard from science wing/Harris center/Webster entrance side of building.

The piece, donated by the Ruttenberg’s in 1998, came at a good time because the library wing was being built. The Ruttenberg’s wanted to add to the courtyard and library wing so it could be beyond bricks and windows. Mr Gleason and Mattson loved the piece and knew it was done by a very good artist. The main question, like with all art that is donated to the school, is how it will fit. They had to put it outdoors as an outdoor piece. They decided to put it in the “shaft” as the art teachers call it. It really looks like it belongs there. It was very hard because they needed it to fit somewhere where it doesn’t look out of the normal.
 * How did it come to be at Parker?**

Sources: Email: David "Buzz" Ruttenberg (class of '58)