Wind Gate, Bronze sculpture at Reed College campus, Portland, US
Wind Gate is a large-scale bronze sculpture on the Reed College campus that features three angular forms radiating outward from an empty central space. The piece stands about twelve feet tall and seven feet wide in front of Eliot Hall, where the interplay of solid mass and void creates its visual impact.
Artist Hilda Grossman Morris created this sculpture between 1967 and 1968 while working in Pietrasanta, Italy, a place known for its bronze casting traditions. The work arrived at Reed College in 1980, becoming a permanent fixture on the campus.
The sculpture brings together abstract forms and architectural thinking that connect to how Northwest artists were working during the mid-1900s. People who visit it today experience how solid bronze shapes and open space can dialogue with each other.
The sculpture sits in front of Eliot Hall and is easy to access from anywhere on campus; you can walk around it and examine the bronze surfaces and spatial voids from different angles. Daylight works best for viewing because shadows and sunlight help bring out the depth and three-dimensional quality of the work.
Morris built the design around mathematical principles and natural organic shapes, resulting in her largest work at the time of its completion. The use of Italian-cast bronze connected old-world craftsmanship with contemporary sculptural thinking.
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