[Exhibit] The Dürer Letters Project

In fall 2022 three different sections of Art & Design Lecturer Mary Roley’s ART 109: 3D Concepts class engaged in The Dürer Letters Project. Students were asked to study and create a three-dimensional version of the letters designed by 16th-century artist and master print maker Albrecht Dürer as presented in his 1525 book, Of the Just Shaping of Letters, several modern facsimile editions of which may be found in the UWM Libraries. The results of the project are now on display in three cases located in the Daniel M. Soref Learning Commons, located on the first floor, west wing of the Golda Meir Library, west wing, first floor through January 31, 2023.

Bringing Dürer’s 2-dimensional designs to life in a 3-dimensional form introduces students to the crucial relationships between ideation, form, and technique in the creation of successful three-dimensional art. The project simultaneously illustrates how essential other disciplines likes science, language, and geometry are to the making of art. Careful observation of Albrecht Dürer’s letters acquaints students with the formal principles and elements of design.

These foundational theories comprise the language of design that all art students must become proficient in, and this project marks the beginning of the student’s journey toward fluency in that language. This display is a manifestation of countless design decisions guided by timeless academic and artistic theories and techniques and shows the true zeal with which these students engaged in their craft.