Alleywags
by Karl Unnasch
Cast steel and glass, 2023
Inspired by architectural grotesques, these cast steel figures accouter the buildings as timeless satirical observers. Each is adorned with a glass fetish that is central to each personality’s unique yet disjointed narrative. Always playful and a little bit recalcitrant, they are tasked with spoofing the eccentricities of being human in a world where looking up is nostalgic.
Location: Alley to the East of the Historic Chateau Theatre
15 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55902 (Peace Plaza)
About the Artist:
A rugged farm upbringing streaked with a penchant for the surreal: This has been the driving force behind the work of Karl Unnasch. With decades of expertise in wood, metal, stonework and stained glass, phantasmagorical combinations of media have become his hallmark. Backed by a comprehensive education in the arts (MFA 2003), his notions morph into works that knit together sources of collective memory while ringing with an element of his own whimsy.
Unnasch’s smaller-scale work has been exhibited as far as Europe and acclaimed in publications such as the New York Times and Art in London Magazine, while his larger-scale, award-winning public art has been featured on the likes of NBC’s Today show, Reader’s Digest and Voice of America. Notably, his work has also been included with multiple mentions in the esteemed Davis Publications school art textbooks, paving the path toward the enduring iconic incorporation of his work into the American art timeline, consciousness and culture.
For well over two decades, Unnasch has focused primarily on public and architectural art, typically incorporating backlit stained glass into sculptural installations. His work adorns educational facilities, banks, theaters, libraries, museum grounds, businesses and public gathering spaces across North America.
Find more of Karl’s work:
Acknowledgements:
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the City of Rochester, Destination Medical Center, and Threshold Arts.
Photos by Choochoo-ca-chew