Exploring Grotesques and Gargoyles with Mathew Duman

Armed with only a camera, a sense of humor and a host of frequent flyer miles, Mathew Duman embarked on a “grotesque safari”, traveling to 10 universities around the country to photograph the unique grotesques and gargoyles roosting on their academic buildings.

Mathew found that this type of sculpture makes its home within a style of architecture known as Collegiate Gothic which was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. He has collected his findings in his book called: "The Grotesque 10: Amazing Architectural Sculpture from Ten American Colleges and Universities" and presents a selection in this illustrated lecture, giving you a taste of the variety of ornament, history and humor these campuses have to offer.

The schools featured in his lecture are:
• Yale University
• Trinity College in Hartford, Ct.
• The University of Chicago
• Northwestern University
• Princeton University
• Bryn Mawr College
• The City College of New York
• Duke University
• The University of Pennsylvania
• Washington University in St. Louis
 

About the Presenter

Mathew Duman is a photographer, author and graphic designer who grew up in Bethany, Connecticut. He attended the gargoyle-free campus of Central Connecticut State University. but while studying abroad, developed a fascination with the grotesque sculptures of the cathedrals of Britain. In addition to England, Matt has made photographic trips to Italy, Africa, France, Australia & New Zealand. As a personal project, he began exploring the variety of sculpture found on the buildings of Yale University. He has since traveled to many other campuses in search of interesting sculpture. Matt lectures on architectural sculpture and leads walking tours of Yale University in New Haven.