SnoWaffle, 2010
cast snow beneath Dale Eldred's Salina Piece
2' x 24' x 14'
Selected for the 2011 Public Art Network Year in Review
Using the bountiful snowfall from the winter of 2009-10, Matthew re-engaged Dale Eldred’s Salina Piece, located near Youngberg Hall on the West Campus of the University of Kansas, in a conversation about public art and its reception. SnoWaffle transformed the often-underappreciated and overlooked colossal steel sculpture into a light-hearted embodiment of one of its (slightly derogatory) nicknames: the “waffle iron.” The idea for SnoWaffle stemmed from many hours of archival research conducted by Matthew into the history of art on KU’s campus, located in Lawrence, KS. Specifically inspired by the controversy and community backlash surrounding the attempted installation of Salina Piece in 1981, Matthew’s work used humor to engage new audiences and bring greater attention to this piece and to public art in general.
Matthew’s research inspired several artworks responding to Eldred’s sculpture—and its history. However, Matthew had longed to create a giant waffle. Snowbound Christmas day of 2009, Matthew realized the potential of the tremendous gift he had just been given. After researching snow sculptures and devising computer models, Matthew arrived at his solution: modular plywood forms, designed to build the sculpture square by square (it was essential that everything could fit into his small hatchback). After perfecting the forms and procedures (and waiting for the right weather conditions), Matthew was spurred on by a warming trend in the forecast. Overall, it took about 15 hours of nighttime shoveling to finish the piece, including a final push of ten straight hours from 10 pm on the night of January 12 until 8 am the following day. The ingenuity of SnoWaffle lies in its resourceful use of materials and its transformation of controversy into appreciation.
