WP3: Statement of Purpose

From the first time I was informed of the guidelines for the creative option for this writing project, I immediately opted to take on this assignment. I enjoy the pastime of writing letters and do this often to maintain communication with my friends and family who still live in New York and Texas – a great distance away from my current home here in Lincoln, Nebraska. As a result of my past experience with letter writing, I knew that I would feel much more comfortable writing a friendly letter to Torso than I would a formally structured rhetorical analysis about her (as I like to refer to this sculpture by William Zorach). I feel that this venue is one that is much more natural than the latter, especially considering the fact that it involves direct communication – an aspect of life that we have all been familiar with since we were born. However, through this form of communication between myself and the sculpture, I would also like to incorporate my analyses of certain features it possesses. These analyses will work together with the communication aspect of my letter to inform my audience of my observations of the sculpture and the emotions that I have experienced through studying and examining this work. That is to say, the letter I write to Torso will be one that involves colloquial and less formal language to construct the framework and the appearance of a friendly letter. The actual content of the letter will consist of my personal elucidation of the observations and feelings I have felt toward and about the sculpture that is housed here in the Sheldon Sculpture Garden. As I am writing this letter, I will also need to be aware of whom my audience consists of. In a sense, it will be Torso. I am explicitly writing to her. However, I am articulating my personal thoughts and feelings about this sculpture that have been accumulated within me these past couple of weeks at the Sheldon. I believe I am not writing directly to the sculpture, or directly to William Zorach, its creator. I am instead writing this letter to my idea of the sculpture – the way in which I have individually interpreted it as a work of art. Nevertheless, regardless of what or whom I believe I am writing to, I will be presenting my letter verbally to my entire English class and to my freshman English professor. Members of the general public will most likely be passing by me while my letter is being read aloud, as it will be a fairly warm and fairly dry Thursday morning and afternoon the day I present to my classmates my final draft.



In conclusion, my letter to Torso will consist of two simple criteria. First, it will come across in appearance as a friendly letter as a result of my selection of the usage of a more relaxed and colloquial language. Second, it will present to my audience my constructed analyses of different aspects of the sculpture. Hopefully, this combination will bring about in my audience a more in-depth and relatable understanding of Torso.

WP3: Final Draft

Links:

Statement of Purpose

First Draft

Final Draft:



Dear Torso,

We just met each other not even a month ago and I feel as though we have known each other forever. I come and visit you week after week and our relationship only gets stronger. I mean, I learn something new about you every single time we hang out. And the funny thing is you do not ever have to speak a word to me. Almost everything I feel that I need to know about you is written all over your face. Well not literally, since you no longer have a face… or did you ever? Well, in any case, I will address that face matter later on in this letter.

First, I feel that I need to tell you that you are not a real person. I know you feel this way since you are among the most realistic sculptures depicting human forms in this beautiful sculpture garden, but this is not the case. You are not a real person at all. You have been casted into bronze, which is nothing more than a mixture of copper and tin. Furthermore, you have no limbs. Granted there are people in this world who in fact have no arms or legs, so allow me to include the fact that you are headless as well. People have heads. You are nothing more than William Zorach’s interpretation of the torso of the female body. I am not saying this to hurt you in any way; I just need you to understand this. He did not even have the decency to interpret you as a real, full- and able-bodied woman. He stripped you of your arms and your legs and your head to make you spectacle to other people. Luckily, this torso of yours in itself is able to express to us that you are supposed to be a woman. Otherwise, we never would have known. You have no other identity. No fingerprints or footprints to distinguish yourself from the next criminal, no face to be remembered by, no hair to play with… and thinking of all of these things you have been deprived of, that I am sure most of us take for granted each day, I cannot help but feel sorry for you. Where is the individuality? All women have hips and breasts and stomachs, but it is the differences in the contours of our faces – the ways in which we smile, the texture and “flowy-ness” of our hair, the wrinkles that form around our eyes when we are happy, sad or angry – that distinguish us one from another. But… I must ask myself – how many women do I know that are built to have only torsos? Absolutely none thank goodness. (No offense!) So perhaps the fact that you have none of those distinguishing features is actually what works in your case to distinguish you, Torso, from the rest of us. This major difference, these major absences, force us to focus on an area of the body that we probably would not otherwise focus on when trying to find meaning behind a work of art.

Honing in on this, the only part of your body that was left after Zorach’s mutilation (if it is even a mutilation), I was able to decipher for myself your entire childhood, adolescence, and future. As for your childhood, you grew up with only one parent, one creator. This person is William Zorach. He formed you initially from the rougher Labrador Granite, then later made the decision to cast your form into the more sophisticated and durable material of bronze, leading you into your teenage years. This is around the time when onlookers began to notice the uniqueness that is your body shape. This is the uniqueness that I have come across well into your “adulthood” as a sculpture, but I say it is better that I noticed late than never. The top half of your body is much smaller in proportion to the bottom half of it. Your waist is super small and your measurements are not realistic at all – at least in accordance with my body. Why is that? Well I know you are not able to answer, so I will give you an answer and you can just let me know if I am right or not. Again, William Zorach is manipulating the female body. He is the creator, so he has exploited it to his preferences and his perceptions. This man has literally constructed a woman to his liking, and you are her. As for your future, you will continue to be put on display, aging gracefully and being observed and picked apart by many students and other spectators. According to my research, I’ve discovered that bronze, when exposed to moisture over long periods of time, needs to be maintained by cleaning and waxing regularly to ward off any damaging moisture. So you will be able to undergo this primping and pampering for the rest of your existence here at the Sheldon Sculpture Garden. Ironic, is it not? After initially being manipulated and exploited as a woman by your creator in the past, and withstanding the many Nebraska winters thus far, your future will consist of being prudently cared for and appreciated. Every woman’s dream…

Well, Torso, thank you so much for becoming a part of the Sheldon Sculpture Garden here at the University. I knew I wanted to write about and get to know you as a sculpture as soon as I saw your gleaming “bronze-ness” on that bright and sunny spring day. Hopefully you will be able to help me answer some of the questions I have comprised for you in this letter, and hopefully you appreciate some of the observations and emotions I have expressed for you – not only as a sculpture, but as a representation of the female body. I am very pleased that this representation is a respectable one, in that it is not risqué in any manner. This helps maintain the respect that we, as women deserve; not only for our bodies, but for us as people. However, as I have mentioned previously, I am bothered that you have been manipulated in this way, but now I know that this manipulation is what has made you what you are – and differentiated you from the other sculptures in this garden and in history.

Thank you so much for your time, Torso!
Talk to you later,


Nina

WP3: First Draft

Dear Torso,

We just met each other not even a month ago and I feel as though we have known each other forever. I come and visit you week after week and our relationship only gets stronger. I mean, I learn something new about you every single time we hang out. And the funny thing is you do not ever have to speak a word to me. Almost everything I feel that I need to know about you is written all over your face. Well not literally, since you no longer have a face… or did you ever? Well, in any case, I will address that face matter later on in this letter.

First, I feel that I need to tell you that you are not a real person. I know you feel this way since you are among the most realistic sculptures depicting human forms in this beautiful sculpture garden, but this is not the case. You are not a real person at all. You have been casted into bronze, which is nothing more than a mixture of copper and tin. Furthermore, you have no limbs. Granted there are people in this world who in fact have no arms or legs, so allow me to include the fact that you are headless as well. People have heads. You are nothing more than William Zorach’s interpretation of the torso of the female body. I am not saying this to hurt you in any way; I just need you to understand this. He did not even have the decency to interpret you as a real, full- and able-bodied woman. He stripped you of your arms and your legs and your head to make you spectacle to other people. Luckily, this torso of yours in itself is able to express to us that you are supposed to be a woman. Otherwise, we never would have known. You have no other identity. No fingerprints or footprints to distinguish yourself from the next criminal, no face to be remembered by, no hair to play with… and thinking of all of these things you have been deprived of, that I am sure most of us take for granted each day, I cannot help but feel sorry for you. Where is the individuality? All women have hips and breasts and stomachs, but it is the differences in the contours of our faces – the ways in which we smile, the texture and “flowy-ness” of our hair, the wrinkles that form around our eyes when we are happy, sad or angry – that distinguish us one from another. But… I must ask myself – how many women do I know that are built to have only torsos? Absolutely none thank goodness. (No offense!) So perhaps the fact that you have none of those distinguishing features is actually what works in your case to distinguish you, Torso, from the rest of us. This major difference, these major absences, force us to focus on an area of the body that we probably would not otherwise focus on when trying to find meaning behind a work of art.

Honing in on this, the only part of your body that was left after Zorach’s mutilation (if it is even a mutilation), I was able to decipher for myself your entire childhood, adolescence, and future. As for your childhood, you grew up with only one parent, one creator. This person is William Zorach. He formed you initially from the rougher Labrador Granite, then later made the decision to cast your form into the more sophisticated and durable material of bronze, leading you into your teenage years. This is around the time when onlookers began to notice the uniqueness that is your body shape. This is the uniqueness that I have come across well into your “adulthood” as a sculpture, but I say it is better that I noticed late than never. The top half of your body is much smaller in proportion to the bottom half of it. Your waist is super small and your measurements are not realistic at all – at least in accordance with my body. Why is that? Well I know you are not able to answer, so I will give you an answer and you can just let me know if I am right or not. Again, William Zorach is manipulating the female body. He is the creator, so he has exploited it to his preferences and his perceptions. This man has literally constructed a woman to his liking, and you are her. As for your future, you will continue to be put on display, aging gracefully and being observed and picked apart by many students and other spectators. According to my research, I’ve discovered that bronze, when exposed to moisture over long periods of time, needs to be maintained by cleaning and waxing regularly to ward off any damaging moisture. So you will be able to undergo this primping and pampering for the rest of your existence here at the Sheldon Sculpture Garden. Ironic, is it not? After initially being manipulated and exploited as a woman by your creator in the past, your future will consist of being prudently cared for and appreciated. Every woman’s dream…


Well, Torso, thank you so much for becoming a part of the Sheldon Sculpture Garden here at the University. I knew I wanted to write about and get to know you as a sculpture as soon as I saw your gleaming “bronze-ness” on that bright and sunny spring day. Hopefully you will be able to help me answer some of the questions I have comprised for you in this letter, and hopefully you appreciate some of the observations and emotions I have expressed for you – not only as a sculpture, but as a representation of the female body. I am very pleased that this representation is a respectable one, in that it is not risqué in any manner. However, as I have mentioned previously, I am bothered that you have been manipulated in this way, but this manipulation is what has made you what you are – and differentiated you from the other sculptures in this garden and in history.

Thank you so much for your time, Torso!
Talk to you later,

Nina

WP3: Pre-Writing Assignment 3

There are many different aspects of this sculpture – Torso, by William Zorach– to take into consideration when attempting to analyze it, its effect on its viewer and the possible arguments it makes. The first aspect I would like to further address is the material from which it is constructed.

Torso, though originally created from a rougher stone material called Labrador Granite (see previous blog post), the sculpture that is now on display in the UNL Sheldon Sculpture Garden was constructed using the beautiful and popular metal alloy, bronze. The question as to why this was specifically chosen for this piece is not normally among the first questions that come to mind when considering the meaning and the emotion behind the sculpture, but it is very important in its all-around and complete (or near-complete) comprehension. Since speaking of the material that makes up the sculpture falls into the category of the construction of the piece, we will now refer to this choice and utilization as an appeal to logos. Bronze is called a “metal alloy” because it is not a natural metal at all. It is actually a mixture of various amounts of the natural metals copper and tin. It is known to be a very durable material, especially when properly taken care of.

For over 3,000 years, bronze has been used in various human inventions, including various weapons, tools, coins, bells, piping, and more. Bronze was used in these different inventions mainly as a result of its characteristics of strength and durability. This is also most likely the reason why bronze was used in the construction of Zorach’s Torso. To create an even more durable material, phosphorous is also added – especially to harden bronze for machine parts and tubing. Lead is used to prepare the bronze for casting, which was the way Torso was created.

When bringing all of this information together, it is much easier to understand the reason why bronze was used in the construction of this art-object. By using this material, the sculpture is able to withstand the intense weather conditions it undergoes – especially in the winters – being located in Lincoln, Nebraska. Furthermore, perhaps Zorach wanted this strong material to represent the strength that he sees in women. Though it is not the original material used in this sculpture, its selection plays a large role in the way we see it today, and all of these things help to support the appeal to logos we find in this particular sculpture.

WP3: Pre-Writing Assignment 2

Torso, a bronze sculpture of the isolated torso of a woman’s body, was created in 1932 by the Lithuanian William Zorach.

Though this art-object that can be found in the UNL Sheldon Sculpture Garden is clearly made of bronze, Zorach’s original Torso was actually made using a material called Labrador Granite and later cast in its current bronze. This strong, stone material and the work he created within it was selected by Zorach, thus giving the audience of this art-object some idea as to who he might be as an artist, and possibly even as a person. This appeal to ethos, though obvious, gives the audience a clearer insight as to what aspects of this piece should be focused on and further analyzed. Labrador Granite is known for being extremely difficult to carve. This presents to the audience the idea that perhaps Zorach was up for a challenge in creating his version of the smooth and curvaceous figure of a woman through this difficult stone material. Furthermore, the fact that William Zorach chose to use Labrador Granite in the interpretation of the female form is a conundrum in and of itself. In art-objects that are more ancient that representing the female body, smoother materials such as marble, limestone, or some metals were utilized to make for an easier carve and a more true-to-life end product. Zorach’s selection is both unusual and telling of his persona as an artiste.

Moving on from speaking of Zorach’s intent, the current presentation of Torso in the Sheldon Sculpture Garden appeals to pathos through elements such as color and vectors of attention. As mentioned above, the sculpture is made of bronze. The color of this metal on Torso is mostly a deep brown, with some – not many – lighter and darker spots. This color, to me, gives off a different aesthetic than would silver, white, black, or any other. It seems more warm and welcoming. This feeling is also brought about by the small bits of discoloration on the sculpture. This deep brown color, though, automatically provokes within the audience the question, “Why?” I have not the answer to this question, but I do have my own feelings and interpretations. I see it as this is the way the presenters wanted women to be represented. Perhaps this color along with other aspects of the sculpture is used to present to the audience what the creator(s) might admire most in women, or the way they feel women should be represented through this particular piece. Sure this may be a stretch, but in my past experiences, I have learned that once an artist presents his completed work, it is open to any criticism or interpretation by its audience. The color of this sculpture is what provokes this aesthetic and these feelings, thus exhibiting to its audience an appeal to pathos. In addition to the element of color, vectors of attention are apparent in this work as well and also evoke emotion within the viewer. The “woman” is facing head-on, unafraid of coming obstacles and standing up straight, looking forward to the future and whatever may come her way. This created a feeling of pride within myself as a young woman viewing the work.