By LARRY BONILLA/Staff Writer
Between the University’s twin lakes, hugging the pathway that connects the Library and Administration building, there rests a giant steel turtle. Matted in bronze, it faces northward with an agape jaw and great claws.
Most students have already made an acquaintance with such a creature amidst their time on campus, whether they are heading to study at the library or when making their way to grab lunch from the University Center. However, few know much about this turtle. For a university whose mascot is an Eagle, the sculpture begs the question — how and why has such a prehistoric-looking-beast perched itself by Harvey Lake?
Let it be known that our beloved turtle has a name—or rather, this sculpture of a turtle has a title: East Texas Watch Dog. The East Texas Watch Dog is a sculpture created by Texas Native Joe Barrington.
According to Barrington’s website, his pieces are inspired from life in rural Texas and Throckton, Texas, the town where he was born. The people, animals, and folklore of the region are iconic qualities of the story he intends to share with viewers. Barrington’s preferred method of creating art and sculptures are in steel, whether it is cutting, welding, or bending the metal.
In looking for more information on the East Texas Watch Dog, I reached out to Barrington through email to inquire further on the sculpture. He graciously provided a response soon after.
Barrington states that the East Texas Watch Dog was included in one of the earliest outdoor shows he participated in. According to the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS), this show was a part of the Outdoor Sculpture Invitational in 1991 at UT Tyler.
Barrington said that, after the installation, “I received a call from the University President [the late Dr. Hamm at the time].”
In the phone call, Dr. Hamm took an interest in the piece and wanted to purchase the East Texas Watch Dog for the campus.
“It became one of my early public pieces and has been at its present location ever since,” Barrington said.
The East Texas Watch Dog was part of a series of Texas animals Barrington created and still is building today. The animals in his works are evocative of the animals he is drawn to, such as road runners, ravens, horntoads, alligators, garfish, catfish, and others. Barrington said that “the pieces are created out of recycled steel from the Texas Oilfield.”
In regards to the name of the turtle, Barrington says “humor frequently shows up in my work. In this case it’s with the title, East Texas Watch Dog.”
In Barrington’s craft of sculpting iconic features of his memory of Texas, he created our beloved snapping turtle, the East Texas Watch Dog. So now, whenever someone references “that turtle by Harvey Lake,” you can correct them and say, “It has a name: it’s the East Texas Watch Dog!”
