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TITUS is an outdoor sculpture by contemporary artist Michael Todd. Todd donated the piece to the University of Notre Dame in 1972.[1] It is a blocky abstract form composed of various square, rectangular, and cylindrical pieces arranged in connection with each other and positioned at an angle to the ground. The sculpture is made of corten steel and covered in a yellow enamel. It currently stands outside the Snite Museum of Art on the University’s campus in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Description

TITUS abstract form consists of a six distinct, three dimensional geometric figures: two square, three rectangular, and one cylindrical. Each individual shape touches just one other in the composition and despite the physical connection, each form retains its own distinct identity within the body of the sculpture as a whole. It is supported by four points of contact between a corner edge and the ground (it currently rests on a concrete slab, but this has not always been the case), all of which appear to be at a 45 degree angle.

At the center of the sculpture is the largest shape, one of the squares. It is positioned on a diagonal, supported by its intersection with one of the rectangles. That rectangle, in addition to the other square that is positioned on axis above, make contact with the center square at a perpendicular right angle. This creates a triangular space below the center square and the lower rectangle, due to the position of the lower rectangle relative to the ground. On the other side of the center square, a small cylindrical figure lies parallel to the square, attached to one of its corners, creating a third point of contact with the ground. Finally, the last two rectangular shapes, which are longer and thinner in construction, are connected together at a right angle. One length lies parallel to the center square and the cylindrical figure to create a fourth point of contact with the ground, while the other extends into the air away from the body of the sculpture. All together, the piece measures 7’2” height x 5’ width x 9’ length x 7’1” longest diagonal.[1]

Historical information

TITUS was first built by Michael Todd (artist) on the roof of his Broadway studio in Manhattan, New York during the late 1960s.[2] He used plywood for this initial fabrication, but due to the vulnerability of the material in outdoor conditions, he sent it to the Lippincott Workshop in North Haven, Connecticut so it could be transposed into a more durable metal. The Lippincott Workshop catered to artists like Todd who were based in New York City and did not have the resources to fabricate pieces in metal for themselves, but is a very expensive investment.[2] This final metal version of TITUS was completed in 1968.

Michael Todd describes TITUS as a response to the work of American sculptor David Smith (sculptor), whose work he very much admires.[2] Smith’s work is characterized by architectural form and bright, industrial color.[1] Although Todd admits that TITUS is not typical of his work and stands alone when considering the body as a whole, his aim was to create a, “bulky, boxy sculpture which dealt with angles to the ground, hopefully to gracefully ascend into space with some subtlety.”[2] He notes that an inspiring vision in all of his work is to imitate the divine creative process of God.[2]

Location history

Since its acquisition in 1972, TITUS has been located in various outdoor situations on the campus of Notre Dame. In 1976, it stood outside the front entrance to O’Shaughnessy Hall, an academic building on the east side of campus that is also connected to the Snite Museum. During this time, the sculpture stood alone on the grass with no accompanying description or plaque. In 1988, the sculpture was positioned on top of four concrete slabs that supported the sculpture and created a small distance between the bottom of the piece and the ground itself. These four slabs were positioned one underneath the small rectangle, two underneath the large central square, and one underneath the thinner rectangle at the other end.[1]

On May 21, 2013, TITUS was moved to its current location[1] on the east lawn outside the Snite Museum of Art. It is closer to the main entrance of the Museum than it was before, and sits in a grassy area overlooking the student entrance to Notre Dame Stadium. It sits on top of a rectangular concrete section placed on top of the grass, to designate a space for this object to sit. On one corner of the concrete is an engraved plaque giving basic information about the piece: title, year, artist, and materials.

As mentioned above, the whole sculpture was constructed in steel and covered in bright yellow paint. However, records at the Snite Museum indicated that the sculpture may have been painted blue at one point in time.[1] However, it is again yellow and will likely remain that way.

Acquisition

TITUS was donated to the University of Notre Dame by artist Michael Todd in 1972. It is owned by the Snite Museum of Art on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, and will forever remain in their collection. There have been no appraisals for the piece.

Artist

Michael Todd is an American sculptor born in 1935 in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in Chicago and graduated magna cum laude with a BFA from the University of Notre Dame in 1959.[3] He maintains a favorable relationship with the University and, on occasion, has returned to the campus to give talks and present slides to students.[2] After graduating from Notre Dame Todd received the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, which allowed him to continue his education at University of California, Los Angeles. In 1961, he completed his Master’s Degree, with a focus in printmaking.[3]

Todd was also the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship, which took him to Paris for two years between 1961 and 1963.[3] Upon his return in 1963, Todd moved into a studio apartment in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, where he lived until 1968. At this point in his career, Todd was teaching at Bennington College in Vermont and worked mostly with wood materials in his own creations.[3] It was during this time that he created TITUS.

Todd created TITUS on spec to get a sense of the experience, but due to the expense of outsourcing the metal construction to the Lippincott Workshop, Todd decided to become a welder so that he could create pieces in metal by himself.[2] It was at this time that he accepted a teaching post at UCSD and was able to work in metal for eight years there. Metal is a prevalent resource in San Diego due to the high demand for steel in the shipping industry.[3] Todd has stayed in southern California ever since then. He no longer teaches, however, and relocated to Los Angeles in 1976 where he plans to live and work from now on.[2]

Throughout his career, Michael Todd has secured several one man shows in renowned galleries across the world. Some of the most notable include: 1964 in London’s Hanover Gallery and NYC’s Pace Gallery; 1965-1968 in Washington DC’s Henri Gallery; 1968 in Detroit’s Gertrude Kasle Gallery; and 1974 in NYC’s Zabriskie Gallery. Todd has also participated in several two man shows and some group exhibitions as well.[1]

Condition

The sculpture has maintained the integrity of its true form quite well over time. In a few places, especially around the edges of each shape, the paint has been worn away and the brown color of metal is visible. However, from a distance these small imperfections are not very noticeable and do not detract from the viewing experience.

TITUS has also survived several run-ins with students at the University, some of whom occasionally move it to another part of campus on late-night misadventures. However, it is always returned to the correct place by University maintenance crews soon after.

See also

• Michael_Todd_(artist)
• University_of_Notre_Dame
• Snite_Museum_of_Art
• David_Smith_(sculptor)

References

• 1. Office of the Registrar, Snite Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana.
• 2. Michael Todd, December 6, 2016. Personal email exchange with the artist.
• 3. Michael Todd, Artist Bio.

External links

• University of Notre Dame
• Artist website: Michael Todd
• The Snite Museum of Art
• Artist website: David Smith

[[Category:Outdoor sculptures in Notre Dame]] [[Category:University of Notre Dame Public Art Collection]] [[Category:1989 sculptures]] [[Category:Aluminum sculptures in Indiana]]