Alpha-Omega: Water Tower #5, Richard Mawdsley (born 1945)

This work is the culmination of a series of water towers created by the artist. Fabricated entirely by hand, it pays homage to the many water towers that dot the midwestern prairie landscape. The primary role of the water tower is to create pressure to circulate a town’s water supply, making the tower the heart of its community. The richly detailed surface of the object suggests the importance of this rural monument. At the same time, the base of the tower is littered with trash. The viewer is reminded that water towers are also a part of city landscapes. A visual tension is created between the water tower as a representative of small-town civic achievement and as a forgotten urban monument.

The artist also incorporated a range of religious images into this piece. The pipes of an organ, Christian crosses, and church tower bells serve as symbols for various people and events from the artist’s life. He was also influenced by the pervasiveness of religion that he observed while teaching in Cortona, Italy. Mawdsley based the form of the water tower on a vessel known as a standing cup. This footed vessel reached a high point of sumptuousness during the late Renaissance. The largely decorative function of the standing cup challenged the metalsmith’s creative and technical skills