Quadrature #1
Quadrature #1, ca. 1977, Steel
Robert Engman (American, born 1927)
#1984.0001.0001
Gross Area (sq. ft.): 192'x 48'x 48'
Painted mild steel. 4 pieces, irregular. Appears as cut from a single cylinder and separated.
Robert Engman’s dynamic sculptures can be found across Philadelphia and Penn’s campus. Engman taught sculpture at the University of Pennsylvania and often collaborated with his students when creating his works. His sculptures look to mathematical forms for inspiration and frequently involve minimal surface intersections of geometric forms. Engman’s use of mathematics in his art has generated great interest among scientists and mathematicians. Quadrature #1 is one of the most striking works at Penn. The sizable sculpture is composed of vertical curving contours of painted steel that stand before a gridded pyramid shaped MRI—appropriate imagery for the medical school plaza in which the piece is located. Peace Symbol, After Iyengar, and After BKS Iyengar are other impressive works of Engman’s that can be found inside and outside Penn buildings.
Location: T. G. Miller Plaza, Hamilton Walk, between HUP and Med Ed Bldg. Philadelphia, PA.
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