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1979: 50 Works for 50 Years

William Wold

"Table for Two"

William Wold (1938-2008) was born in Duluth, Minnesota and from 1968-1994 taught ceramics at the University of South Dakota. "Table For Two," Wold wrote, “comes from a series of works which attempt to portray man or the human form as a specialized object. The thought ‘you are what you eat’ seems the best description for these pieces...As many others feel, I too believe over-specialization can be hazardous to our health.”

The piece was included in the "South Dakota Biennial IV Exhibition," a precursor to today’s South Dakota Governor’s Biennial. Graham Beal, then curator at the Walker Art Center, selected works for inclusion in the exhibit and also selected "Table For Two" for a purchase award. He wrote in the catalog introduction, “the successful work of art....is one that arrests the viewer in the first place and repays continued scrutiny. It declares itself an object that integrates idea–whether theoretical or emotional–and form.”

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