The Development of a Concrete Statue

Leonardo, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 224-226, 1982 0024-094X/82/030224-03$03.00/0 Printed in Great Britain Pergamon Press Ltd. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CONCRETE STATUE Paul F. Miller, Jr.” 1. The vast majority of concrete sculptures in existence are cast ones. These sculptures could be cast in many different materials and also, for the most part, were first developed or conceived in other materials. Traditionally, the sculpture is modeled in clay of one type or another, then a mold is made of the clay piece, followed by extracting the mold from the original, cleaning, preparing and assembling of the mold for pouring of the concrete. This method, like any other, has both advantages and disadvantages. A major advantage is a close reproduction of the original in another material, in this case, concrete. Some of the disadvantages, especially in large pieces, are massive molds and the equipment necessary to assemble and make ready for the pouring of the mold. In order to obtain a good pouring the concrete must be fluid enough to reach and fill all the mold parts without leaving air pockets. This necessitates a mixture which by its very nature results in a weak and short-lived structure. The results may be impressive and pleasing when it is first completed, but, alas, years later when the elements have taken their toll, the sculpture may begin to erode under one’s own touch. Some critics will say that if it is aesthetically good or important. modern technology will preserve it. Only time will prove or disprove this. Another negative factor would or could be that the sculpture was first modeled or conceived in another material and then the concrete was used as a mere medium of reproduction which in many cases doesn’t draw attention to the finished medium. I have recently become interested in concrete and its unexplored potentials. Amongst these are the direct application of concrete whereby the optimum strength is achieved by the mixing of aggregate, and a precise chemical reaction obtained by stiff mixes made with very little water. These mixes are suitable for direct application of the concrete patted on to or modeled in and around metal reinforcing wire mesh. The method used the best of the mediums in limited amounts: namely, a concrete skin of one half to one inch in thickness with maximum strength through proper mixtures and reinforcement and curing. An advantage for this method is the flexibility of creation. (Concrete is used not as a reproduction medium or a medium uses after the fact but a method that holds or embodies the excitement of direct creativity and modeling.) Of course some thought and planning must be given to the structure that will hold the concrete until it has cured. However, it is immediately obvious that almost any material or structure will do, such as Styrofoam, assemblages of many similar or dissimilar materials, so long as it has a wire mesh covering the surface with room for the concrete to surround, and become embedded in, the concrete mixture. 2. First Experience and Realization of Potential In the fall of 1978 I had an exhibit of copper electriformed sculpture [I] (see Leonardo 12, p. 129 1979). Among the various pieces in the exhibit were some creatures modeled in a malleable plastic material. The creatures had simple but strong shapes *Artist. Stevens Institute of Technology. Castle Point Station. Hoboken. NJ 07030. U.S.A. (Received 14 September 1981) which determined their characters. The Civil Engineering Department at Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.) had for many years been building concrete canoes (as were most of the Civil Engineering Departments of the major Engineering Schools in the U.S.A.). For many years these colleges had been experimenting with concrete mixtures and methods of construction to obtain lightness and thinness along with maximum strength. After the electroformed exhibit I approached the Civil Engineering Department with a proposal that they apply this technology to a more challenging project, that of using one of my small electroformed creatures for a model to create a large piece of sculpture. The idea was received with enthusiasm and the project was launched. The project...