‘Time/Spike’
Artist: Jean Woodham
1925 – 2021
“Time/Spike’ is roughly an open circle made of several pieces of welded brass. Circles have always represented time and the notion of progress, so viewers might be stopped by the sharp spike, piercing the piece like a lighting bolt”-The New York Times Arts section. Sept 6 1998.
Jean Woodham
Jean Woodham was born in Midland City in 1925, less than ten miles from the Gardens. She was raised primarily in Slocomb and Ozark, and graduated from Auburn University in 1946. After graduation, she headed to New York City to begin her career as an artist.
The early days of her career found Woodham working in clay, plaster, stone, wax, wood, and steel. She soon became one of only a few Americans welding metal sculpture at that time.
Woodham learned to cast work in bronze and aluminum, creating varied patinas, and even developed innovative welding techniques. In the late 1960’s she changed her focus to large-scale public sculpture. Today, there are more than 150 of her works in the large outdoor spaces, including The World Bank, General Electric, FlintKote Company, Nynex, GTE, The New York Board of Education, and more. Her works are also in private collections, including the Foreign Art Museum in Sophia, Bulgaria.
In Alabama, samples of her work are found on the campus of Auburn University, Alabama State University, and here at the Dothan Area Botanical Gardens.
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