Primogenesis
By William Conrad Severson and Saunders Schultz
Category: Sculpture
About
Primogenesis is an artistic and technological achievement. The two stainless steel panels of the 25-foot sculpture are covered with 36 thin, silicon-coated disks capable of converting the sun’s rays into solar electricity, causing the spokes of the giant sculpture to radiate from the center. The artists chose the title, Primogenesis, in reference to “first origins” because the work is powered by the sun, the origin of all energy.
The piece was originally placed in the middle of the pond at Oak Knoll Park which was the former home of the St. Louis Museum of Science and Natural History. It is dedicated to Marguerite Yates, long-time assistant director of the museum. Primogenesis now stands in front of Clayton High School.
Dimensions: 25′ x 25′ x 20′
Year Completed: 1981
Material: Stainless steel
Owner: St. Louis Science Center
Donor: St. Louis Science Center
About the artist:
William Conrad Severson and Saunders Schultz
William Conrad Severson was an internationally acclaimed artist who sculpted works for corporate, institutional, liturgical and private commissions. His artwork can be seen in the US, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Moscow. He was a co-founder and former president of the St. Louis Sculptors Gallery, and the first artist-in-residence at the Missouri Council of the Arts program in Chillicothe, Missouri.
Saunders Schultz received his BFA from Washington University in St. Louis in 1950 and two years later received an MFA from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He is an internationally acclaimed artist who focuses on making sculpture to fit its particular environment. Often creating monumental works that are larger-than-life, Schultz stresses the importance of making his work aesthetically pleasing. His work is characterized by sharp angles and shiny forms, due to the nature of the stainless steel with which he works.
