Marxy in the Tower - 1972

Page 94-97 of the Tower yearbook features an in-depth interview with Marxhausen along with photos. It discusses his tour across America.

Marxy in the Tower - 1960

I'm a journalist for Concordia's student newspaper, The Sower, and I'm going to look into finding articles about Marxhausen in the old issues. The Tower yearbook has been a great source of information, so I have high hopes that The Sower will have stories about Marxy's art projects, perhaps even interviews.

The 1960 yearbook featured some striking artwork. The images centered on the theme of growth and used poetry alongside image, something I've observed in work by Marxhausen. Were these illustrations by Marxhausen? If someone can confirm they are, I will post them on this blog.

Please visit the Marxhausen Facebook page and see if you can help identify these mysterious art works.

Here is the faculty shot of the 1960 yearbook.

Koenig was a contemporary of Marxhausen and the founder of the Koenig collection. He was memorialized in the 1960 Tower.

Marxy in the Tower - 1974

One of the rare yearbook photos where Marxy is not busy on a project. There was little art or other information relating to Marxhausen in this yearbook.

Marxy in the Tower - 1971

On the opposite page, Marxhausen is quoted:

When one says yes to life - all the findings are an affirmation and celebration to belief. Looking and searching s to never know, and expectancy is high.

The entry reads:

First semester Professor Marxhausen invited all art majors and minors to help draw a scale picture of the moon which was placed on the north wall of the science building. During interim his art and science, using techniques from both disciplines, created optical illusions which were placed in the science building stairwells.

Also noteworthy, photos of the student senate and officers were taken in front of Marxhausen's Open Book that year.

- Duncan

Marxy in the Tower - 1970

I've been reading older editions of Concordia's yearbook, The Tower, and every one has a bit of info about Marxhausen. I've found some excellent quotes by Marcy and photos of his work I haven't seen anywhere else. Reinhold is pictured on the bottom alongside one of his pieces. The text says that he "enjoys making home-made wine."

The second page shows a few artworks, presumably by both students and professors. They are not labeled, but at least one piece looks like Marxhausen's sound sculptures, the picture right in the middle. A couple others look like they use wood, which may be by Marxy, or by students who learned to use a similar technique.

- Duncan

Marxy in the Tower - 1969

Marxy appears to be putting polyurethane on a wood sculpture. Above the art professors, there are works by students. The yearbook itself doesn't have information on the names of the students who created the works. Any former students recall these art works? I wonder which ones were in Marxy's class. One of the photos looks like a wood mosaic, which a student could have learned in one of Marxy's classes.
The title page for every section, "Faculty," "Students," etc., showed the same photographs. For the student section, the photo of the students was highlighted in gold ink, and so on for the other sections. Marxhausen was the faculty member featured in this yearbook, which meant this picture was on the title page of each section, and printed in gold for the faculty section. Once again, the photos of Marxhy show him hard at work.

Marxy in the Tower - 1968

[Edit: I learned from his wife that these are not pajamas. They are "Harlequin" pants, colored red, black, and white, that she made special for him.]
This wooden object use to be in the Campus Center. None of the older professors thought Marxhausen built it, but was it one of his students?
This page shows how students were involved in chapel. When I interviewed Dr. Serk, she recalled that attendance at chapel was mandatory, students had assigned seats, and there were chapel checkers to ensure students were in their right seat. This yearbook came several years after she was a student. Do any alumni recall if this was the policy in 1968, or does this particular chapel ring a bell? A large pile of junk was created, which the pastor used to illustrate his topic. Could Marxhausen have designed it, or at least have worked with the art students who made it?
The trend I'm noticing in the yearbook pictures of Marxhausen is that he is always working!

Marxy in the Tower - 1966

[9-19-10 Update: I scanned Marxy's faculty photo and posted it. Also found what looks like a painting of Marxhausen by a student.]

These was a feature story in The Tower.

[Edit: I showed this to Karl Marxhausen, and he confirmed that he's the one in the photo here with his dad.]

The 1966 issue had a whole section devoted to student artwork, including this portrait by Dave Burk. Look familiar?

Marxy in the Tower - 1964

This first one is the regular faculty photo you should find in every yearbook. The headline read "Art and Music Departments Provide Outlet for...Individual Expression" but the opposite page didn't show any more art professors so I didn't bother to scan it.

This second photo is much more intriguing. I learned from this that Marxhausen was an advisor for the Activities Committee,

Marxy in the Tower - 1963

Now that I'm back at Concordia, I've returned to chronicling "The Tower" yearbook pictures of Marxy. He's to the left of William Wolfram. You can see a photo of his Open Book behind him while he sculpts an organic piece.

The Tower - 1953

Page 62 of the 1953 "Tower" yearbook has a story about the completion of the mural in Brommer, which at that point was the dining hall.

Last year, before I began researching Marxhausen, I was working in Brommer when I met an older man returning for Homecoming. He told me that while he was here, Marxhausen used his hands as the model for the mural. The old student said that Marxhausen just called him as he was on his way out of the cafeteria, positioned his hands the way they needed to be, and drew a gesture sketch so quickly, it amazed the student.

The mural was covered up around the 70s.

This yearbook had a movie theme: the students were the "cast," the administration were the "directors," etc. This page was for the yearbook staff, and Marxhausen is one of the "producers." I take it this means he was the professor in charge of yearbook that year.
Here is his faculty photo, along with Koenig, who left Concordia his estimable collection of art which became known as the Koenig Collection.