David Versluis’s new work: “a little bit of cathedral in it”

David Versluis and Nelson Wynia
“a little bit of cathedral in it”
2015
15'H x 10'W x 1'D
Welded aluminum, powder coated chrome
Aluminum skeletons from Kooima Laser Cutting

Dordt College Commission and Permanent Collection—Science Building Addition. Photographs by Carl Fictorie ©2015

The design and title of this piece is inspired and responds to this quote by engineer and writer Samuel Florman:

“Not only cathedrals, but every great engineering work is an expression of motivation and of purpose which cannot be divorced from religious implications. This truth provides the engineer with what many would assert to be the ultimate existential pleasure.

I do not want to get carried away with this point. The age of cathedral building is long past. And, as I have already said, less than one quarter of today’s engineers are engaged in construction activities of any sort. But every man-made structure, no matter how mundane has a little bit of cathedral in it, since man [humankind] cannot help but transcend himself as soon as he begins to design and construct.”(1)

1. Florman, Samuel C. The Existential Pleasures of Engineering. 2nd ed. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 1996. 125. Print.

L: David Versluis (designer) and Nelson Wynia (welder) installing hanging brackets and five foot x ten foot aluminum panels.

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“Architectural Record” cover design from September 1965: a modern combination of symmetry and asymmetry

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David Versluis’s new work: Tectonic Tower Maquette

David M. Versluis ©2015
Tectonic Tower Maquette
Welded aluminum, powder coated chrome
2015
14.5"H x 9"W x 5"D
Photography by Doug Burg

This piece is a response to the transitional tectonics and nature of the cultural landscape. Contour lines angle and change directions to form an architecture of triangular shapes or plates. These plates stack, layer, and off-set to suggest a balanced or unbalanced structure depending on your perspective—the whole piece becomes richer than the sum of individual parts. The imperfection of the welds and reflective surface help viewers to focus on their experience.

This piece is to some extent inspired by Herbert Bayer’s Leaning Spiral Tower. However, ironically, this piece seems to suggests a kind of:

“transautomatism”, which was a term used by artist, Friedensreich Hundertwasser Regentag (1928–2000)(1).

1. Calvin Seerveld, Setting Things Right, CIVA Seen, 2013. 5.

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“I AM American” art exhibit on display in the Dordt College

The Dordt College Campus Center Art Gallery will feature an exhibition titled “I AMerican,” curated by artist Sergio Gomez, whose work was recently featured at Dordt. The show, which explores the meaning of being an American, will run from November 12 to January 3, with a reception scheduled for November 16, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Gallery Talk at 6:45 p.m. will feature Rikki Heldt, Instructor of Language Studies and Abby Foreman, Associate Professor of Social Work.

Gomez says that “‘I AM American’ tells the story of many of us. As a Mexican immigrant, now naturalized American, my story is part of the collective story of this great nation.”  “I AM American” is not an exhibition about immigrants only, however. Some of the artists in the show have been born in the United States and some can even trace their history back to the American Indians.

“‘I AM American’ aims to engage the viewer in a conversation about the complexities of the American experience,” says Gomez. Participating artists use a variety of styles, visual forms, symbols, and metaphors to provide a window into the multi-cultural experience and suggest an answer to the question: Who is an American? Some works directly approach the theme of identity while others delve into the American experience.

Participating artists include Joanne Aono, Cesar Conde, Agustina Diez Sierra, Paulina Gal, Mario Gonzalez Jr., Salvador Jimenez-flores, Michael Klaus Schmidt, Chandrika Marla, Janice Meister, Joe Milosevich, InJung Oh, Joyce Owens, Steve Prince, Sally Ko, Marcos Ray, and Eden Ünlüata-Foley.

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A Dordt College Graphic Design III studio project

© Emily Visser. Poster Design
2015 
11 x 17 inches.
A Dordt College Graphic Design 3 studio project.
Background is a soft ground intaglio print produced by the designer.

Emily Visser is a Dordt College junior student.

“If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.”
—Quote by Steve Jobs

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“Accentuating Architecture: A Dordt College Architectural Alumni Exhibition”

Photograph by versluis ©2015

Dordt College is hosting its first design show in the Campus Center Art Gallery. The exhibit, titled “Accentuating Architecture: A Dordt College Architectural Alumni Exhibition”, will be displayed October 9 – November 9. Exhibit curator John Den Boer will deliver a gallery talk at 4:00 during the show’s reception from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. on October 24.

Art Professor David Versluis, advisor for the pre-architecture program and art gallery coordinator, will be arranging the gallery installation. The exhibit will feature the architectural designs of:

• John Den Boer (’00), Tower Pinkster AE, Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Jon Dykstra (’06), Alliiance, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Kevin Zandberg (’92), MJSA Architects, Salt Lake City, Utah

Versluis says that the role of architects in the design of buildings is mainly “to study, research, imagine, solve problems, and give instructions.” This exhibition focuses on the finished work and shows the final built form with renderings, photographs, and floor plans. Included with each project are didactics describing the project program and design strategy.

The exhibition, celebrating 60 years of Dordt alumni during Dordt’s 60th anniversary year, also aims to help viewers consider why buildings are the way they are. The projects displayed in the exhibition demonstrate architectural design on various levels. Versluis and Den Boer hope the show fosters a deeper appreciation for the built environment and gives viewers a better idea of the role of the architect.

“Architecture means many things to many people,” says Den Boer. “Many see it as the intersection of art and science. It is a profession that concerns itself with community and inspiring people to be the best versions of themselves while simultaneously focusing on getting the smallest of details right. Architects have a duty to design functional, practical, but also beautiful buildings. Likewise, Christian architects have a duty to serve others and glorify God.”

Information taken from the Dordt College News Release.

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“Notable Quotable” — A Student Typography Poster Competition

© Jordan Harmelink. “Than the Trees.” 2015 Notable Quotable
11 x 17 inches.
A Dordt College Graphic Design 3 studio project.

Quote by Henry David Thoreau

Jordan Harmelink, a Dordt College junior student recently had a poster design selected for the Notable Quotable juried competition, organized by the AIGA Student Group at Southeast Missouri State University and the River Campus Art Gallery. Awards will be announced at a reception on November 6.

The criteria for design included a notable quote, which was expressed with innovative typography. Each designer had to be a student at a university in the state of Missouri or in any state that borders it.

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