Mathew Duman will give an hourlong Zoom Author Talk on his most recent publication, “The Grotesque 10: Amazing Architectural Sculpture from 10 American Colleges and Universities,” at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 16, hosted by Freeport Community Library. Submitted photo
Mathew Duman will give an hourlong Zoom Author Talk on his most recent publication, “The Grotesque 10: Amazing Architectural Sculpture from 10 American Colleges and Universities,” at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 16, hosted by Freeport Community Library.
Armed with only a camera, a sense of humor and a host of frequent flyer miles, Duman embarked on a “grotesque safari,” traveling to 10 universities around the U.S. to photograph the unique grotesques and gargoyles roosting on their academic buildings. He found that this type of sculpture makes its home within a style of architecture known as Collegiate Gothic which was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. He has collected his findings in his book, and presents a selection in this illustrated lecture, giving you a taste of the variety of ornament, history and humor these campuses have to offer.
The Grotesque 10 schools featured are Bryn Mawr College, The City College of New York, Duke University, Northwestern University, Princeton University, Yale University, Trinity College, The University of Chicago, The University of Pennsylvania, and Washington University.
Duman is a photographer, author and graphic designer who grew up in Bethany, Connecticut. He attended the gargoyle-free campus of Central Connecticut State University, but while studying abroad, developed a fascination with the grotesque sculptures of the cathedrals of Britain. In addition to England, he has made photographic trips to Italy, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. As a personal project, he began exploring the variety of sculpture found on the buildings of Yale University and published a book, “An Education in the Grotesque,” containing his findings at Yale. He has now turned his sights on the sculpture at other campuses around the U.S.
This online Zoom event is free and open to the public. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link and can be done on the event listing on freeportlibrary.com.
For more information, call (207) 865-3307.
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