Alice Aycock Sculpture

Sculptor who blazed trails for women ventures to OSU

CORVALLIS - Alice Aycock, a celebrated figure in the world of architectural sculpture, will deliver a public lecture on her work at Oregon State University at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20.

The OSU Department of Art aimed high when it tried to attract a well-known artist for its Visiting Artists and Scholars Program, and with Aycock the school feels it landed a luminary.

"She is of such international prominence that she has shows in Venice, Berlin, New York, San Francisco and all over the world," said John Maul, chairman of the Department of Art. "She is someone we felt could attract a broad audience."

Aycock, Maul says, is best known for her large architectural sculptures that incorporate technology and explore themes of science and industry. She rose to prominence in the 1970s and was a trailblazer who created a niche for other female sculptors in the industry. "Not many women were doing monumental sculptures at that time, and she came along and helped debunk the myth that sculpture was just this hot-metal-pouring, chipping-away-at-a-two-ton stone, macho thing," Maul said. "She was very influential in changing the way people thought about sculpture." Aycock, who lives and works in New York City, will give a digital presentation of her works at the LaSells Stewart Center's Engineering and Construction Hall. A public reception for the artist will precede the lecture, beginning at 6 p.m. in the main lobby at LaSells.