Nielsen Physics Building—Sculpture

When the physics building was complete, Liberal Arts Dean Alvin Nielsen felt that the bare front needed a sculpture—one that would suggest the relationship between mass, energy, and radiation. Philip Nichols, UT art professor, was commissioned to create such a sculpture. A small-scale model was created and approved in the summer of 1964, and Nichols proceeded with the full-size artwork, using a heavy hammer, metal-cutting shears, and welding equipment. Except for the large rods, the sculpture is made entirely from bronze sheets. When completed, the sculpture was treated with a chemical solution to give the appearance of a naturally oxidized surface. The sculpture measures 12 feet by 7-and- one-half feet, and weighs three hundred pounds.

Money was not available from the building project budget, so the sculpture was financed by the Fowler-Marion Fund, which had been established from the royalties of a two-volume treatise on nuclear physics donated to UT by its author, UT alumnus Joseph L. Fowler.

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  • Title Nielsen Physics Building—Sculpture
  • Author
  • Keywords Nielsen Physics Building—Sculpture
  • Website Name Volopedia
  • Publisher University of Tennessee Libraries
  • URL
  • Access Date July 14, 2025
  • Original Published Date
  • Date of Last Update October 9, 2018