During the 1800s, a vision of a new modern era began to emerge collectively in art. Sculpture, as envisioned by the official art academies at this time, was often seen as a complimentary art form: decorative elements in green spaces and architectural ornamentation on buildings. But Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) radically shattered the limits of what was thought possible with sculpture as an art form.

The pieces in Rodin | Response: FIELD family secrets are a mixture of Rodin’s own sculptures with works from students in the DAAP School of Art at the University of Cincinnati. These undergraduate artists worked diligently all throughout the previous semester immersing themselves not only in Rodin’s work but in the curation of an art exhibition. I had the pleasure of talking with one of the artists, Taft Marsh.

Taft spoke with me about how while doing research and marveling at Rodin’s sculptures, he couldn’t help but look at gardens as well as sculpture. He was dazzled by the intricate beauty of traditional botanical gardens in which many outdoor sculptures of the time would be located. This is reflected in Taft’s work titled Diluted Lineage. Here, he binds together the branches of an invasive tree into fantastical forms. This gesture is meant to harken back to Rodin’s time when the sculpture complimented the garden while the garden accentuated the sculpture.

The remixing of Rodin’s art style into Taft’s “post-human sculptures” truly adds another level of interpretation and nuance to the exhibition. Other pieces in the show range from a poignant statement about Camille Claudel (1864–1943), the renowned artist who worked alongside Rodin in his studio, to a live feed of the Cincinnati skyline.

The amount of hard work, dedication, and thought that is on display is truly breathtaking! So, if you find yourself with some free time and a hunger for innovative art, check out Rodin | Response before it closes on September 8.