- Title
- The Sculptor’s Eye (Homage to Giacometti)
- Artist
- Roger Barr (U.S.A., 1921-2000)
- Date
- 1985-1988
- Media
- Welded stainless steel and silicon bronze
- Credit Line
- Donated by the class of 1990
Sculptor Roger Barr created The Sculptor’s Eye, a 4-foot-high, oval-shaped structure that resembles an eye, as a tribute to the Swiss sculptor-painter Alberto Giacometti, who died in 1966. As quoted in a Campus Report article about the installation of the piece on campus, Barr said, “The Sculptor’s Eye is my way of paying homage to Giacometti’s legacy. This is my gift to Giacometti and my gift to Stanford students.” Giacometti is well known for his Surrealist-influenced sculptures and his slender, exaggerated renditions of the human figure.
The Sculptor’s Eye was donated to the Stanford campus community by the graduating Class of 1990. Barr, who graduated from Pomona College, wanted the sculpture to be installed in a university environment. He felt that the Stanford campus was an appropriate setting because he had great respect for the school and for the work of Stanford art professors. Presidents of the Class of 1990 noted that Barr originally did not want to sell the work because it meant so much to him, and that he sold it to the class for a very generous price.
