First Experiences

Creator

Pipka Ulvilden

Preview

Creation Date

2001

Medium

resin

Exhibition Label

Pipka has created a nativity set which has all the ingredients of sentimental appeal and sweet memories. It suggests a white Christmas. There is the little drummer, the tender fawn and meek donkey, the boy with the lamb, and angels of all ages. The stable is sturdy and drafty, but it presents the essential comforts of home: pots and pans, candle, and house bell, even a wicker basket filled with flowers. Saint Joseph holds the customary lamp, and the mother reflects the fresh beauty of a Madonna by Raphael. Not to forget the elegant flourish of the adult shepherd's sincere tribute to the baby. It all seems to be right; right as it should be, right as it was when we first experienced the Christmas event. First experiences have a lasting effect as they shape our expectations and mark our imagination. Retrieving them and purifying them would seem like a salutary challenge, provided our first experience is also the beginning of a new experience for the present.

Description

Resin figures created by Pipka Ulvilden in Sister Bay, Wisconsin depicting the nativity of Jesus. The set was created in 2001. Exhibition label originally written by Fr. Johann G. Roten, S.M. for exhibit entitled "At The Manger" and held at Roesch Library, University of Dayton.

Rights

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