Clickumentary
a beautiful mind
This gleaming, 32-foot stainless steel sculpture rises high atop a reflecting pond at Fermilab, in Batavia Illinois. What makes this work of art so extraordinary for me, is in the story of it's inspirational creator, Robert H. Wilson.
Robert Wilson was not your ordinary, everyday nuclear physicist. No, Robert Wilson was a celebrated intellectual in the rarefied pantheon of sub-atomic scientists. Robert Wilson was one of the pioneers of the particle research world, and as such, was appointed as Fermilab's first director from 1967 to 1978 - a result of his prominence in the scientific community.
Why does this story bear mentioning? Because it was Robert Wilson who not only was a brilliant scientist, but who also possessed a burning desire for beauty and form; and yearning to unite his vision of grace and glory into simple structures. It was Wilson, as the director of this iconic national laboratory, who plied his pencil during lunch breaks and after work. He sketched and modeled and shared his vision. The fruit of his labor (his own labor) stands majestically atop the still reflecting pool -- he even taught himself how to weld by enlisting as an apprentice in one of the mechanical shops on campus.
I am so taken by this man's story because of the complexity of his character - the authenticity of his passion. Here is a man who had a brilliant intellect, and fitting career. But, that wasn't enough for Mr. Wilson. This man found a way to care for and cultivate more than one great passion in his life. He studied sculpture in Italy, and attended courses while in college. He held on to that love, and never let life's rigors eat away at that passion and promise.. he cultivated his love for beauty and made it his own.. on his own terms, and on his own time. Wilson also was creator of several other beautiful sculptures across the campus, including the iconic "Broken Symmetry" that arches over Pine Street at the west entrance of the campus.
Mr. Wilson died on January 16, 2000, and is buried in the small Pioneer Cemetery that lies on the northwest corner of Fermilab's 6,800-acre site.
history.fnal.gov/sculpture.html
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♫ ♪ ~~ Tune by Band Of Horses - “No One‘s Gonna Love You” ~~ ♪♫ (don’t worry mate…opens in new window…click it!)
a beautiful mind
This gleaming, 32-foot stainless steel sculpture rises high atop a reflecting pond at Fermilab, in Batavia Illinois. What makes this work of art so extraordinary for me, is in the story of it's inspirational creator, Robert H. Wilson.
Robert Wilson was not your ordinary, everyday nuclear physicist. No, Robert Wilson was a celebrated intellectual in the rarefied pantheon of sub-atomic scientists. Robert Wilson was one of the pioneers of the particle research world, and as such, was appointed as Fermilab's first director from 1967 to 1978 - a result of his prominence in the scientific community.
Why does this story bear mentioning? Because it was Robert Wilson who not only was a brilliant scientist, but who also possessed a burning desire for beauty and form; and yearning to unite his vision of grace and glory into simple structures. It was Wilson, as the director of this iconic national laboratory, who plied his pencil during lunch breaks and after work. He sketched and modeled and shared his vision. The fruit of his labor (his own labor) stands majestically atop the still reflecting pool -- he even taught himself how to weld by enlisting as an apprentice in one of the mechanical shops on campus.
I am so taken by this man's story because of the complexity of his character - the authenticity of his passion. Here is a man who had a brilliant intellect, and fitting career. But, that wasn't enough for Mr. Wilson. This man found a way to care for and cultivate more than one great passion in his life. He studied sculpture in Italy, and attended courses while in college. He held on to that love, and never let life's rigors eat away at that passion and promise.. he cultivated his love for beauty and made it his own.. on his own terms, and on his own time. Wilson also was creator of several other beautiful sculptures across the campus, including the iconic "Broken Symmetry" that arches over Pine Street at the west entrance of the campus.
Mr. Wilson died on January 16, 2000, and is buried in the small Pioneer Cemetery that lies on the northwest corner of Fermilab's 6,800-acre site.
history.fnal.gov/sculpture.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
♫ ♪ ~~ Tune by Band Of Horses - “No One‘s Gonna Love You” ~~ ♪♫ (don’t worry mate…opens in new window…click it!)