"Ripples" – by Fritz Olsen |
Sculptor Fritz Olsen's piece, "Ripples," is a sophisticated study of movement permitting a piece of stone to mimic the sinuous characteristics of wind on water. This seven-foot-tall by 37-inch wide sculpture encourages the viewer to follow the movement of the ribbon-like piece. This elegantly carved, softly curved, sensually classical piece is in direct contrast with the medium-hard Indiana limestone.Ripples was unveiled and put on permanent display at Ferris State University as part of the Michigan Art Walk on November 19, 1999.
Olsen resides in Harbert, Mich., with his wife, opera singer Martha Cares.
Ferris Renaissance Currently the Michigan Art Walk includes the following pieces (with year of dedication): "Dimensional Learning," an outdoor sculpture by Barron Nagel (1996); "Practical Academe," a wall sculpture by Daniel Roache (1996); "The Visionary," a triptych by Ferris State's resident artist Robert Barnum (1997); "Escape," an outdoor sculpture by R. Farrington Sharp (1997); "Totem Stack," an outdoor sculpture by Albert Young (1998); "Muse," an outdoor sculpture by Irina A. Koukhanova (1998); and a bronze bust of former Ferris President Byron Brophy, by James F. Hopfensperger and Joan Hopfensperger Most (1999).
The Ferris Renaissance Committee
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Olsen, a native of Sweden, has been the recipient of numerous honors and commissions. His sculptures are sought for both private and corporate collections and are represented in select galleries throughout the United States. Among his public works is "Cactus Flower," an 11-foot carved marble sculpture that stands at the front entrance of the Westin Mission Hills Resort in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Olsen also has designed and executed the "Decade of the Brain" award for the Chicago Neurosurgical Center since 1990. His sculptures have most recently been displayed at Frederick Meijer Gardens, Muskegon Museum of Art, Foothills Art Center North American Sculpture Exhibition in Golden, Colo. and SOFA (Sculpture Objects Functional Art) in Chicago, Ill.