Terry Allen's Playful "Public Perception" for Gym Goers
April 19, 2024
Author: Monet Butler
Posted on April 19, 2024 at 10:53 AM by Monet Butler
Visual artist and songwriter Terry Allen (b. 1943) is known internationally as a Renaissance man. With 12 albums of music and copious amounts of artwork in different mediums (drawing, sculpture, and mixed media), it made complete sense that Allen branched out with the installation of A Public Perception. This installation features eighteen neon signs stationed both inside and outside State Gymnasium on the Iowa State campus. This was the first “all neon” installation in Allen’s illustrious career.
The neon signs greet, inspire, tease, and bid adieu to gym-goers. At the entrance, a white sign by Allen reads “YOU ARE NOW ENTERING A LIVING…,” reminding visitors that choosing the gym is a choice to embrace life. Above, on the skywalk ceiling, multicolored signs—“BEING,” “MIND,” “SOUL,” “HEART,” “ORGAN,” and “ETC.”—highlight aspects of self that can improve through fitness, creating a meaningful connection between the two signs.
Allen also adds playful humor throughout the gym. At the top of the rock-climbing wall, a sign reads “HEAVEN/NOW WHAT?” teasing climbers that reaching the top—his “heaven”—is not the end. In the pool, neon yellow “SWEAT” continues the jest, while a second-floor sign appears as “FAT” from afar but reads “FATe” up close, inviting reflection on internal dialogue and self-perception.
Scattered throughout the gym are various demands for action. Each word’s location is carefully curated by Allen, such as “GASP” and “BREATHE” by the track, and “REST” on the exterior facade as people exit. The weight section has the words “HOP,” “SKIP,” and “JUMP,” ironically the last place you would want to be flailing about. Above it all is the reminder “THE BODY IS SERIOUS BUSINE$$,” comparing an economically flourishing professional organization to a healthy body.
As you leave, there is a declaration of a “BIG ORTHOSCOPIC TOMORROW.” While people may associate “orthoscopic” with glasses and other eyecare, in reality it is the idea of an undistorted view. By working out, people leave with a clear mind, harkening back to the cluster of signs on the ceiling of the walkway.
The signs are all bright and demand attention. The neon medium is essential to capture the eyes, as these words and phrases certainly would not draw as much attention if merely on a poster. By using neon, Allen uses bright colors to pique interest away from weights or machines to the various signs. Scattering around the different signs not only creates a very effortless aesthetic of the gym, but also invites new fitness fanatics to explore the gym to seek each sign out. A Public Perception challenges the idea that working out is only for a certain type of person, inviting new people to take their health seriously and to take note of how their life and wellbeing improve with fitness.
Monet Butler
University Museums 2024 Pohlman Fellow
ISU Class of 2026 | Political Science
Terry Allen (American, b. 1943)
A Public Perception, 2011
Neon and glass
Commissioned by University Museums. An Iowa Art in State Buildings Project for the Recreation Services Expansion. Located in the State Gymnasium addition, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Photos by Cameron Campbell. Images ©University Museums, Iowa State University, 2012.