by Russell Guerrero

The Learning Tree by San Antonio artist Rolando Briseño

The quest for self-expression and knowledge is the common theme for two artworks created especially for the first floor lobby of Northrup Hall. During the construction of the building, a select number of artists were asked to send proposals for artwork to be installed in the new administrative and academic building. A panel of 12 individuals, six from Trinity and six from the San Antonio arts community, received the proposals and recommended finalists to Trinity President John Brazil, who made the final selection. The works of art chosen were Writing Systems of the World by Trinity art professor Kate Ritson and The Learning Tree by San Antonio artist Rolando Briseño.

Professor Ritson’s artwork consists of a frieze that combines 20 limestone tablets aligned side by side and displaying examples of more than 40 writing systems, both old and new, from around the world.  The letters and hieroglyphs were picked and matched for purely aesthetic reasons “for the beauty of their shapes”  rather than for their meaning.  According to Professor Ritson, the frieze celebrates the many ways people have defined and recorded history through the organized use of written symbols. “The cultural diversity of written language signifies the collective need to find purpose and meaning in one’s experience of the world and to communicate that experience to a wider audience,” she said.

Trinity Art Professor Kate Ritson

Each tablet measures 13 ½ inches by 24 inches by 2 inches. Professor Ritson used San Jacinto Materials, Inc., a local stone cutting company, to prepare the limestone tables and to carve the writing symbols.

Adjacent to Professor Ritson’s frieze is a  two-story waterfall that serves as a dramatic backdrop to the bronze sculpture created by Mr. Briseño.

Mr. Briseño credits a famous Italian writer for the inspiration behind his artwork. “Umberto Eco said the process of learning is a like going through a maze,” he said. And his Learning Tree sculpture resembles a maze as it incorporates strands of bronze that connect in different ways to form roots, a tree trunk, branches, and clouds.  The roots, said Briseño, stand for the foundation of knowledge that one receives from home.

Craftsmen Robert Diaz de Leon '83 and Don Williams '88 with artist Rolando Briseño

The trunk that connects the roots and branches represents the accumulation of contexts, which lead to knowledge. And the branches represent the various paths one can take in learning. The sculpture measures 25 feet by 7 ½ feet and weighs close to 2 ½ tons.  The work was crafted by Trinity alumni Don Williams ‘88 and Robert Diaz de Leon ‘83 along with craftsmen from Mr. Williams’ studio.

“I like creating public art because everybody gets to see it. I am very proud to have a piece at Trinity,” said Mr. Briseño