Balancing Food Choices with "Aequanimitas"

Tom Askman (b. 1941) is known for creating interactive public works of art. His philosophy of “engaging viewers in an artistic experience and prompting interaction” is apparent in both his role as a drawing and painting professor at Eastern Washington University in Cheney Washington and as an artist. When viewing his 1992 interactive sculpture installation, it is obvious that Aequanimitas was made to spark thoughtful exchanges. This collection of sculptures is the symbolic entrance to the Human Nutritional Sciences Building. Consequently, everyone who enters must confront the potential outcomes of the food they eat, and how they eat it, with Aequanimitas.

Named after the Latin word for “balance,” Aequanimitas takes the viewer on a journey to finding balance in the food they consume.  As the viewer continues through the courtyard, they are confronted with an arch they must pass through to enter the building. The arch, made of bronze, is planted in the ground, a metaphor for our food growing and coming from the Earth. The sculpture is dynamic, stretching over the walkway to show the full range of food that people consume. Everything from pasta to SPAM is crafted, with a man precariously tipped back on a chair in the center of the arch. Not only does this invoke feelings of sitting down to eat, but it also reminds the viewer that there is balance in the things we consume. By walking under the arch, each person is playfully encouraged to interact with the sculpture and their ideas of food.

Immediately after the arch, the viewer’s eye is drawn to a bronze loaf of bread on a pedestal with the food pyramid embedded in the concrete. The sculpture is complete with a knife lying to the side, practically begging to be cut and shared. Bread is inherently communal, and this sculpture brings to life the idea of “breaking bread” with friends and family. The food pyramid is a clear jab at what Askman is attempting to convey with Aequanimitas; balance is necessary to eat and live well.

After the viewer walks past the loaf of bread, they are shown to a metal gazebo with a picnic table underneath. While by itself the building is cold, people and food within the gazebo becomes an inviting place to share food, memories, and conversation. At this point, it is obvious that there is a choice: either walk past the gazebo to grab a quick bite alone, or think a little bit more about what you eat and with whom.

Askman is known for these thoughtful installations, and Aequanimitas is no exception. Overall, Aequanimitas is a thoughtful and diverse public work of art appropriately installed at the entrance to the Human Nutritional Sciences Building, where Iowa State is creating the next generation of nutritionists, healthcare professionals, and thoughtful food consumers.

Monet Butler
University Museums 2024 Pohlman Fellow
ISU Class of 2026 | Political Science

Aequanimitas, 1992
Tom Askman (American, b. 1941)
Bronze, concrete, aluminum, stainless steel, wood, and brick
Commissioned by the Iowa Art in State Buildings Program for the Center for Designing Foods To Improve Nutrition. In the Art on Campus Collection, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. U92.616a-f