Sculpture on the Highway

by 12 Comments

‘Untitled’ sculpture by Herbert Baumann 1968
‘Untitled’ by Herbert Baumann 1968 located at the I-91 southbound Hartford Rest Area

The Story Begins in 1968

"OK, now what?!" Or so I imagine the words of Paul Aschenbach standing in front of over twenty monumental sculptures.

He'd gathered artists from all over the world - the United States, Austria, Japan, South Africa, Germany, and Yugoslavia - to create these huge works of art in marble and concrete. What's more, it was not only a grand sculpture project. This was a great vision of the power of open minds and communication at the height of the Cold War when the political world was rife with fear and closed borders.

Now, where to put them? Too big for most museums.

Aschenbach was associate professor of art at the University of Vermont. He brought together fellow sculptors for the Vermont Sculpture Symposium in 1968, 1971, and 1990. The first two would result in what is now called 'Sculpture on the Highway', the largest sculpture park in the world!

The Symposia

The Vermont Sculpture Symposium was inspired by a worldwide movement known as the International Sculpture Symposium which was started in 1959 by the Austrian sculptor Karl Prantl who participated in the first Vermont symposium.

As noted in Wikipedia,

This initiative grew from the need to facilitate communication and exchange between members of the international sculpture community. It was also rooted in Cold War tensions, which lent a particular urgency to the need for cross-cultural dialogue on a person-to-person basis. The first international sculpture symposium took place in an abandoned stone quarry in Sankt Margarethen im Burgenland."

'Axe VIII’ sculpture by Bradford Graves 1971
'Axe VIII’ by Bradford Graves 1971 located at the I-89 northbound Williston Rest Area

Prantl organized several sculpture symposia in Europe and elsewhere including Japan, Israel, and Canada.

Supporting Vermont's symposia were grants from the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts which matched goods and services provided by two regional industrial benefactors, the Vermont Marble Company (1968) and the concrete manufacturer S.T. Griswold & Company (1971).

Four Towers by Eduardo Ramirez
'Cuarto Torres’ (Four Towers) by Eduardo Ramirez 1971 located at the I-89 southbound Williston Rest Area

Marble and Concrete

Twenty-two sculptures were created during Vermont's first two symposia. Some were sold according to an agreement among the artists, including a sculpture by Clement Meadmore. One was damaged beyond repair during a later relocation effort. The remaining sixteen were placed at rest areas along 400 miles of Vermont highways I-91 and I-89.

Half are marble created in the first symposium and the other half are reinforced cast and applied concrete created in the second symposium.

'Untitled’ by Viktor Rogy 1968
'Untitled’ by Janez Lenassi 1968

My Role

Giving back to the community is important to me. One of my pro bono projects is helping the Vermont State Curator, David Schutz, conserve these important artworks.

The first step was to inspect the condition of each sculpture for grant proposals David and his team plan to submit. One of the grants, 'Save America's Treasures', seeks federal money for conservation.

Some sculptures need to be moved. Some need foundations. All need to be cleaned. Cracks, chips, and graffiti need attention. The good news is that they're all in remarkably good condition for 50 years old. With timely and proper attention, they can last another 50 years and beyond.

'Untitled' by Minoru Niizuma 1968
'Untitled’ by James Silva 1971

The Adventure Begins

So off I went to find these huge objects. Some were difficult to locate, obscured by forest growth, blocked by fencing, or in areas that are now closed to the public. At times I felt like Indiana Jones and Benjamin Gates! Eventually, I found them all.

I created conditions reports and plans for repairs and on-going maintenance. The goal, as explained by Vermont's State Curator, is not to bring these sculptures back to their original condition but rather to delay the natural deterioration for as long as possible.

‘Socha pre Betón/Sculpture for Concrete’ by Rudolph Uher 1971
'Trois Traces' by Yasuo Mizui 1968
'Untitled' by Isaac Witkin 1971
'Untitled' by Carl Floyd 1971

Conservation Needs

The first priority is to move those that are too close to a roadway, or in locations susceptible to vandalism, or in areas that are now inaccessible to the public. The second priority is to give them all sturdy foundations. Next, fill cracks since the freeze/thaw cycle of Vermont weather causes the most damage. Each year cracks get a bit wider and longer.

Another major concern is 'sugaring'. This is a kind of degradation to the surface of outdoor marble. The cause is weather, acid rain, pine needles, bird droppings - just about every outdoor condition. Marble is simply not a great choice for outdoor sculpture. Over time, smooth marble surfaces turn into tiny rough grains of stone the texture of sugar.

Other needs can wait a bit longer if necessary, such as chip repair, coating exposed rebar, removing graffiti, cleaning off moss, dirt, and mold, and installing signage.

Related Projects:

Signage of some kind is important not only for interpretation, but also for preservation. Research shows that some kind of label next to outdoor art reduces vandalism. But signage right next to these works is a problem. Signage was not the artist's original intent. Many symposia artists felt that signage and even titles impede a viewers encounter with art. So we'll have to give further thought to this issue. Maybe signage at the beginning of a long path leading to the sculpture? We'll see.

‘Untitled’ by A. Dieter Trantenroth 1971
Cracks in the sculptures are a high priority

VTrans to the Rescue

Then a pleasant surprise! The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), our state highway department, got wind of our efforts and offered to help. Now we're working with VTrans to move sculptures and create foundations. We plan to begin this critical first stage in preservation when Covid subsides.

Getting Started

The plan is to move some of the sculptures to high-use rest areas to reduce the risk of vandalism and enable visitors to walk around them. Others will have their current areas cleaned and improved.

‘Untitled’ by Erich Reischke 1968
‘Untitled’ by Paul Aschenbach 1971

Grant applications will be submitted in 2020 and 2021. If we're lucky and all goes as planned, work will be completed by the end of 2023, including exciting interpretive programs at rest stops, welcome centers, and websites.

In the meantime, we're organizing 'Friends of Sculpture on the Highway', a group of the original artists, their family members and friends, and interested citizens to join us in advocacy, fundraising, and brainstorming. Please join us by contacting me with a comment below or emailing me directly at rwhannum@gmail.com. All are welcome to join in this exciting project!

These sixteen sculptures are an important piece of Vermont history. They hold a unique place in contemporary art as works of significance and value that must not be neglected.

Update: August 2019

The niece of one of the sculptors, Erich Reischke, just contacted me! She read this article and is coming to visit Vermont this fall with her sister and would like to see their uncle's artwork.

Also, one of my clients, the Office of Cultural Heritage (CH) of our US State Dept, just offered to review our conservation plans. CH is a small team of incredibly talented art conservators who travel the world repairing the vast collection of art in our embassies and ambassador residences abroad. They're a wonderful group of people and I'm thrilled to be working with them!

As one of the members of our group recently remarked, there's a lot of positive energy gathering around this project. The stars are aligned!

Update: October 2019

Our group continues to meet, visit the sites, and plan for their preservation. We're now focused on several grant applications for funding, such as the federal 'Save America's Treasures' grant and a couple of state highway grants, one of which we have already received for planning. So, we are gathering all our notes and estimates - wish us luck!

In the meantime, we continue to search for the artists that are still alive or their family members. Three are still alive - Ruddick, Silva, and Katsuji.

We just met with two sisters who are nieces of Erich Reischke. They came from California to see his sculpture. Byron Brees who heads our volunteer group, and I, spent an afternoon with them at their uncle's sculpture, talking and reminiscing.

They shared memories of Erich's fascinating and unusual life - living on a commune, becoming a Sikh, shunned by his family, and then later beloved.

Rita Reischke Bauer (left) and Sylvia Reischke
Rita Reischke Bauer (left) and Sylvia Reischke, nieces of Eric Reischke, sitting on his sculpture.
Sylvia Reischke, niece of Eric Reische standing next to one of his sculptures
Sylvia Reischke

Yesterday Byron and I traveled to Northampton, MA, about 2.5 hours drive south to meet halfway, Peter Ruddick and his friend who drove up from New York City where Peter has an art exhibition. He lives in California.

We spent three hours listening to memories of his upbringing in England during the WWII, his teaching career in Oregon, then at the Pratt Institute in New York City, and then Goddard College in Vermont. He spoke at length of his recollection of both Vermont symposia. Each one lasted about two months. He spoke about the artists that influenced him most such as Louise Bourgeois and especially, for him, Alberto Giacometti. I was particularly enthralled since I'd recently restored a Bourgeois sculpture at our ambassador's residence in London, and Giacometti is my all-time favorite, too!

Peter supports our plans for signage and foundations for his sculpture and all the others. His contribution to 'Sculpture on the Highway' was thought to be 'Untitled' but we discovered that it's 'Sextant'. He explained the influences behind it such as climbing over bunkers and looking thru machine gun sites left over from the war in England as a child.

He explained that he and the other artists were involved in choosing the location and exact placement of their pieces. For him the circle of 'Sextant' framed the mountains in the distance and the diamond framed cars on the highway and parked at the rest stop. We plan to move this sculpture and Peter enjoyed our suggestion of the Sharon Welcome Center where it could once again align with a view of the mountains at one end and the highway at the other.

Plans are also afoot to reconstruct a missing sculpture by Kishida Katsuji who is still alive. It was destroyed years ago while trying to move it.

All of these remarkable pieces are 50 years old in 2021, so we're considering ways to mark the occasion, such as another symposium, national and state Historic Register designation, the reconstruction of this piece, and other exciting possibilities.

Peter Ruddick, Bob Hannum, and Byron Breese
Peter Ruddick, Bob Hannum, and Byron Breese in Paul & Elizabeth’s Restaurant, Northampton, MA 10/7/19
‘Sextant' by Peter Ruddick
Peter Riddick’s ‘Sextant’ at a closed weigh station on I-89 South in Sharon
Sculpture on the Highway by Kishida Katsuji
Kishida Katsuji sculpture at Sharon Rest Stop, I-89 North, destroyed years ago in an attempt to move it.
‘Untitled’ sculpture by Karl Prantl
‘Untitled’ by Karl Prantl 1968

Update: March 2020

A local reporter from 'Seven Days' called me. He saw this post and wanted to know more about 'Sculpture on the Highway.' He mentioned that Kate Pond participated in these symposia and that she lives close-by. So began my adventure with Ms. Pond!

"What Is the Large Metallic Structure at the Border in Highgate?" is a wonderful article about the work of the prominent Vermont sculptor Kate Pond. She and I are in conversation about her memories as a student of Paul Aschenbach and Clement Meadmore, prominent players in "Sculpture on the Highway'. The article mentions a third Vermont sculpture symposium organized by Paul Aschenbach in 1990. Sculptures from this symposium can now be seen in Battery Park in Burlington.

 

More about Kate as our conversations continue.

Update: August 2020

We received one of the four grants we're going after. Had to reaply for the other three. This is a blessing in disguise since now we're adding support from artists, family members, art organizations, and other interested parties.

We've discovered that the symposia resumed about 20 years ago in Maine resulting in 34 sculptures found in cities and towns along 200 miles of the northern Maine coast from Castine to Eastport. Known as the Maine Sculpture Trail, five consecutive symposia were founded by the Maine sculptor Jesse Salisbury. So we'll be exploring these connections as well.

Jesse has joined our 'Friends of Sculpture on the Highway.'

Update: February 2021

Our big federal grant application to 'Save America's Treasures' has just been submitted! Very exciting! It's such a strong application with contributions from so many over so much time. It's brought so many wonderful people together. We should hear by May - wish us luck!

Our 'Friends' Director Byron Breese just found this video of Karl Prantl who passed away in 2010 at the age of 87.

Update: September 2021

Fabulous news! We just received a 'Save America's Treasures' grant! And for the entire amount we asked for. I'm dancing as I type! This grant is entirely devoted to cleaning and restoring the sculptures.

We're not stopping here! Soon we're set to submit the equally large grant application to VTrans to move sculptures, place them on foundations, and upgrade their rest areas - a huge and costly endeavor.

We continue to track down friends and relatives of the original artists. We found Doug Griswold whose father was the owner of ST Griswold Company (later sold to SD Ireland) which donated concrete and work space for all of the second symposium artists. Doug was just out of college having worked at his dad's company since he was 11. He was assigned to assist all the artists. We can't wait to gather and share his stories.

Concrete was an experimental medium for art in the early 70's. Doug made himself available daily to the artists to problem-solve in the creation of their sculpture. We just had the first of many zoom calls with Doug and one of the many interesting memories he shared was that he spent a lot of time trying to convince the artists to look at concrete as a new medium rather than the medium they were used to. He said he didn't succeed with certain artists and you can tell from the pieces they created. For example, Meadmore designed his sculpture like he did his metal sculptures, the Ramirez piece looks like the wood he's used to, and Graves carved a large block of concrete as if it was stone. Others were more successful such as Sylva, Ruddick, Uher, and Floyd. Fascinating!

These meetings are being recorded. Soon we'll make them available on our new website being created pro bono by the premier website development team of Midnightson Designs.

Update: April 2022

We just submitted two more grant applications. One is for funding to create a website to accommodate all of our many needs including fundraising. The other is for the costs of interpretation such as signage and audio-visual displays at the rest areas where the sculptures are located. We will hear about these applications in June. Stay tuned!

Best Bronze Protection

by Leave a Comment

‘Whale Dance’ by Jim Sardonis, July 2019, bronze with dark patina, 16’ x 12’, Randolph, VT. Photo by Lelonie Oatway.
‘Whale Dance’ by Jim Sardonis, July 2019, bronze with dark patina, 16’ x 12’, Randolph, VT. Photo by Lelonie Oatway.

Why Coat Bronze

The use of wax to coat bronze sculpture has a long tradition.

Archaeological evidence of the 'hot-wax' technique for creating bronze jewelry dates back as far as the first evidence of bronze itself - around 3500 BC. So I imagine that it wasn't too long before someone noticed how nice a bronze statue or pendant looks when polished with wax, and how it protects against fingerprints and weather.

And so the use of wax to coat metal sculpture, particularly bronze, became a tradition that is still going strong today.

The Trouble With Wax

I've used wax myself on sculptures. But recent research definitively shows that new products are better. After using a particular polymer known as Everbrite, I'm totally convinced that polymers are better in so many ways. I chose Everbrite because it has a track record of over 30 years - the longer something's been used successfully, the more I trust it.

The Advantage of Polymer

First, let's talk about application. Polymers are much easier to apply. Simply paint it on. Anyone can do it. Whereas wax has to be applied hot requiring an experienced conservator. Additionally, before applying wax, the old has to be removed and the surface cleaned. With Everbrite, yes, the previous wax needs to be removed and the surface cleaned just as carefully, but if you're re-coating over a polymer, no removal is necessary.

Sure, an old polymer coating needs to be cleaned, but that's a much easier process of wiping with water and cloth. Furthermore, when you apply a polymer over a polymer it 'self-anneals' meaning, it bonds to the old coat automatically. Huge plus over wax! By the way, unlike most paints, polymers also 'self-level', meaning that they do not streak when applied at the right temperature.

Now let's look at another benefit of polymer, protection. Only in the last couple of decades have we developed the technology to determine just how effective wax is. Research conclusively shows that even the best quality wax doesn't last as long as we thought and polymers last much longer.

How long wax lasts on a sculpture is purely a guess. Some conservators claim up to two years. Others say three months. The truth is, no one really knows. For outdoor sculpture, it all depends on the weather. It's so variable that wax on one side of a sculpture may weather more than the other side. To know just how long wax lasts, you need to test the particular sculpture which is a time-consuming and expensive process. I'm shaking my head, because why even do this when we know that polymer lasts longer, up to ten years!

Everbrite also provides UV and anti-oxidant protection, and does not yellow.

Frankly, I think it's simply nonsense to ever use wax again on outdoor sculpture.

Assessing Different Acrylic Polymers

I rely on the US Park Service and the Getty Conservation Institute for the latest research on best products and practices. Unfortunately they have not yet studied any acrylic polymers other than Incralac which they found superior to wax.

Acrylic polymers were first developed in the 60's. Incralac was the first and still widely used today. Improved acrylic coatings followed with Permalac and Everbrite about 30 years ago.

Incralac and Permalac both last outdoors 3-5 years. Incralac is known to peel so it must be removed before re-coating. Everbrite lasts 5-10 years and along with Permalac does not need to be removed to re-coat.

All provide UV protection, self-anneal, and self-level.

Everbrite provides any gradation of satin or matte finish desired at no extra charge. Permalac now comes in a satin finish but no gradations are yet available. Incralac is coated in wax to achieve a satin or matte finish.

Four coats of Permalac are required for outdoor sculpture. Everbrite just 2.

So for cost, protection, and ease of application I prefer Everbrite.

The Downside

One criticism of polymer is that it's too shiny or just doesn't produce the same look as wax. This was true for early versions, but not any more. Manufacturers now mix any shade of satin or mat finish desired. In fact, the sculpture presented here is an example of just such a test of many different shades before the artist and I found the perfect match. The Everbrite company mixes any shade requested at no extra charge.

Final Thoughts

One drawback is that any polymer is solvent-based so it's flammable, and can irritate skin, eyes, and lungs. Thus, gloves, respirator, and eye protection must be used. Certain plastic containers and brush bristles will melt on contact with solvents, so I use metal containers and natural-hair brushes, available and inexpensive at any hardware store.

The final comparison is expense. When you think about all the issues mentioned above, polymer is hands-down less expensive than wax.

Bob Hannum and Jim Sardonis
Bob Hannum and Jim Sardonis

Coating 'Whale Dance'

I most enjoy installing and restoring sculpture when I work with the artist.

This job was just that. I met the sculptor Jim Sardonis last year when he asked me to remove graffiti from one of his sculptures. Now he wanted me to clean and coat this wonderful sculpture.

Related Projects:

The first step was a close inspection and estimate of what the job requires. That done, I asked the artist if he had a preferred product for coating his sculpture. This is a touchy question because Jim no longer owns this sculpture. It was purchased for permanent public display. Thus, Jim doesn't really have any say in this, though recent laws give artists some control over their art even after they sell it.Nonetheless, any decent conservator wants to know and respect an artist's wishes when reasonable. And like most sculptors, Jim preferred wax, but after I presented the wax versus polymer issue, Jim decided to try a polymer.

Polymer is particularly protective in the harsh freeze-thaw weather cycles we have here in Vermont and throughout New England. Acid rain, bird droppings, and pine needles add an extra degree of stress on the surface of metal sculpture. Wax lasts only months in these conditions. Polymer last years.

Getting Started

Next we worked on a perfect shade of satin. We painted many small patches right on the sculpture. These could be easily removed later. Everbrite sent us several small test batches. Jim made the final selection. We stayed six feet apart throughout to adhere to our state's Covid-19 precautions. The final selection turned out to be 1/4 of the usual satin chemical mixture. We also tested brush versus wipe. The coating takes only 20 minutes to dry to the touch and 60 minutes between coats. I called Everbrite and they mixed and shipped our custom request within a day.

I cleaned the sculpture surface of all the old wax and accumulated dirt using mild soap and water. For problem areas such as a few spots of mild corrosion, I used a solvent which does not harm the patina.

I applied two coats of the custom-mixed Everbrite satin that Jim chose. The first coat sealed small cracks and pits.

Final Results

More and more conservators now use polymer coatings. This is the best recommendation of all since the conservation industry is quite careful. Conservators are not known for using products such as polymers that are 'only' 30 years in use!

This particular coating restored a new look identical to the original dark brown bronze patina.

No maintenance is required other than wiping with a cotton cloth and tap water. When the coating fades, just reapply a new one without removing the old. Anyone with painting experience can do it.

Two coats will last up to ten years depending on weather conditions. Polymers are so durable that I offer a five-year warranty to all my clients.

Bob Hannum restoring 'Whale Dance'

References

1. Latest European study on wax, 2002, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303158807_Protect_our_European_outdoor_bronze_monuments_Good_Practice_Guide_Culture_2000

2. Assessing the Protective Quality of Wax Coatings on Bronze Sculptures Using Hydrogel Patches in Impedance Measurements, 2016, Downloadable PDF at www.mdpi.com P. 10 - polymers are more protective than all waxes tested.

3. Latest research abstracts on polymer coatings for bronze, 2020 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222801665_Developing_and_testing_a_new_generation_of_protective_coatings_for_outdoor_bronze_sculpture

4. More research, 2019, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0300944018309743

5. Latest GCI Research: https://www.getty.edu/conservation/

6. Anecdotal comparison of Everbrite and Incralac: https://www.everbritecoatings.com/public-art

7. Latest CGI bronze restoration: http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/revitalizing-barbara-hepworths-figure-for-landscape/

8. Latest National Park Service research: https://ncptt.nps.gov/blog/ndsu-outdoor-bronze/

9. Latest Getty Research: Incralac vs Permalac: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.getty.edu%2Fmuseum%2Fconservation%2Fdecorativearts_and_sculpture%2Fimages%2Fdasc_featuredproject_sculpture.pdf&clen=596502

Fountain Restoration in Tokyo

by 5 Comments

New and Exciting Challenge

Project Successfully Completed with Surprises!

Arts Management Services LLC was asked to restore this Japanese fountain to its original 1929 look.

Sculpture restoration by AMS in Tokyo

The fountain is part of one of the most important properties in the history of U.S. diplomacy.

Built in 1929, it’s among the first residences specifically built as a U.S. ambassador’s home. More importantly, this is where, at the end of World War II, Emperor Hirohito met with General Douglas MacArthur and renounced his divinity, forever altering the influence of Japan’s imperial family on the world stage. Apart from historical significance, this quiet residence with its spacious garden sits in the heart of busy Tokyo.

The large circular fountain pool is lined with a distinctive pattern of colorful tile that shimmers in the shallow water. The central bronze urn is believed to have come from an ancient royal temple where large vessels, usually made of wood, catch and conserve rainwater. Its surface is beautifully aged with brilliant shades of orange and green oxidation.

Tokyo fountain repair

Now it needs some TLC.

The best part about this project is all the fascinating adventures and knowledge in store as I assemble a team of experts to tackle many challenges. I’ll be talking to Japanese artisans to create matching tile, engineers experienced with repairing concrete tunnels damaged by seismic events – Tokyo averages 6 tremors per year – and with plumbers about an unusual way to replace underground pipe by boring through the soil using water pressure.

Once all the estimates are gathered and final decisions made, we’ll assemble materials, people, and equipment for what looks to be a 2-3 week project scheduled for April or May.

While the project proceeds I’ll be stopping briefly along the way to create short videos of the special people involved and the unusual things they’re doing!

I’m writing from Starbucks in Narita Airport, Tokyo, about to head home after a 10-day whirlwind tour of embassies and ambassador residences in Manila, Baguio, and here. The State Department calls me whenever their sculpture or fountains need restoration. Great trip. I pinch myself that I get paid for this! Looking forward to returning soon.

Restoration Options

Several restoration options are on the table. One involves removing the entire existing surface of the tile and replacing it with a very hard 4″ thick ‘bowl’ of reinforced concrete so that when an earthquake occurs, the bowl doesn’t crack but rather moves on its foundation.
Another option is to leave the existing structure intact and just replace the cracked tile.
Yet another option if we can’t find tile replacements is to create concrete facsimiles from a silicone mold and paint them to blend in with existing and original tiles of soft green, blue, black, orange, and white.

The Office of Cultural Heritage

Now that I’ve seen the fountain and spoken with several knowledgeable and helpful embassy staff, it’s time to start researching the options and finding out what they’ll cost. Finally, I’ll submit recommendations and estimates to Jim Wenzel back in Washington, DC, whose team is known as the Office of Cultural Heritage (CH) of the Office of Buildings Overseas (OBO) of the US Department of State.
This small busy team overseas all the art, antiques, historic buildings, and gifts owned by our government. Jim will decide which option is best.
Which one do I prefer? At the moment I’m most intrigued by the idea of coming up with a way to just allow cracks to happen and replacing tiles as needed. The challenge is to find a simple way to do it that also stops water from leaking – fresh water is an expensive commodity in Tokyo and an increasingly important focus of conservation all over the world.
Once the decision is made I’ll assemble the team to carry out the work and join them in Tokyo, hopefully in time to see the cherry blossoms.

Update and Surprising Discovery

CH decided to go with the least expensive option and the one I favored, filling all the cracks and painting over them to match existing tile. It was a two-week project and completely successful.

Oh, and have a look at this brief video about a discovery we made involving the large bronze urn in the center of the fountain. It’s a tear-jerker!

https://www.magisto.com/album/video/fHYsAl1bCAd8ISEGDmEwCXx7

Marble Restoration in Japan

by Leave a Comment

Broken Marble Fingers

The Sculpture

Two fingers on a delicate marble sculpture by an unknown French artist, a nearly life-sized nude, were broken in the past and then glued back using a substance that darkened over time.

My job was to restore the fingers to their original look.

The Restoration

The process involved carefully removing just enough of the old glue so as to fill it with new white epoxy, but not so much that the fingers break again, and without touching any part of the original stone.

Using a professional-grade Dremel, and a variety of accessories, I removed a thin layer of the old epoxy without touching any of the original marble surrounding the old repair. Once this was done I applied a 2-part non-glossy white epoxy, filling the cracks so that it looked like the original stone. Finally, and quickly before the epoxy set, I applied white marble dust to match the texture of the stone.

Once dry I did a few minor passes with the Dremel for finishing touches.

Before

 

After

 

Before

 

After

I was happy with the result.

Sculpture Restoration in Manila

by 2 Comments

Several Projects at Our Embassy and Ambassador's Residence

Manila US Flag Memorial locationFinding the Spot

I recently returned from a week in Manila and the successful completion of several projects at our embassy and ambassador's residence.

First up was relocating the exact spot where a small concrete sculpture memorializes a significant and dangerous time in our involvement in the Philippines. During World War II the Japanese briefly took over the Philippines. Just before they arrived to occupy our embassy, the small group of remaining staff gathered all our flags and burned them to prevent them from being mistreated by the invaders. The memorial marks the exact spot where the flags were burned and the ashes buried. The memorial was recently moved temporarily to protect it during construction that will last the next two years. Luckily, Dan Larson located an old photo of its location confirmed by the legend that it is '...six paces from the tree away from the ocean, and seven paces to the right...' reflecting the 13 stripes. And sure enough the legend is correct placing the memorial smack in the middle of the flower bed shown below between the two trees.

Vicente Silva Manansala

Vicente Manansala

Saving Hands and Feet

Next up was an odd job involving tile artwork adorning the pool at our ambassador's residence.

This tile design was created by the Picasso of the Philippines, Vicente Manansala (1910-1981), in the early 60's when the pool was constructed. The tile needed its sharp edges softened to prevent injury. The embassy mason and I softened over 1000 tiles thereby preventing injury to the hands and feet of swimmers.

Repairing 'Big Washers'

Next on the agenda, restoring a sculpture. There were cracks in several locations on the sculpture "Yellow Rings" by Carol Brown Goldberg, affectionately known as 'Big Washers' by the maintenance staff.

This restoration involved removing chipped paint, filling the cracks with two-part metal epoxy, sanding smooth the epoxy and paint edges, and applying several coats of three distinct matching enamel colors, lightly sanding between each coat. The artwork was moved to a location to eliminate employee exposure to harmful dust and fumes. Once fully dry and off-gassed, the sculpture was placed back in its original location for a final wipe-down with a soft cloth and mild alcohol.

repair of

First the damaged areas were sanded smooth

 

Then epoxy placed in the cracks and sanded smooth

 

Then several coats of enamel paint applied

 

Finally the sculpture was cleaned and put back

 

One color did not exactly match so I feathered the paint to hide the mismatch. What's the saying, it's not how fine the craftwork but how well you hide the mistakes!?

Art Conservation of the Buddha

by

The Buddha in New Jersey

Art Conservation - Fudo Myoh-OhI periodically return to the world headquarters of Becton Dickinson and Company (BD) in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey to clean and repair the world's largest wood sculpture of the Buddha.

Wait a minute...New Jersey? Not somewhere in Asia? What's he doing in New Jersey?

Completed in 1993, this astonishing sculpture was carved by a team of Japanese craftsmen following an age-old Buddhist tradition as a project of the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). It took over 2 years to complete.

The plaque beside the immense sculpture reads

Yasuhiko Hashimoto, Jinichi Itoh & Isao Yanagimoto, 1990-1993 Alaskan yellow cedar, Japanese lacquer, gold leaf FUDO MYOH-OH (Immovable King of Light).

Created by Japanese artists at the Maryland Institute College of Art, the Fudo represents a fierce and raging manifestation of the Buddha's power against evil. The warrior stands motionless and firm upon a rock ready to protect humans from their greed and negativity.

He appears as he has for hundreds of years, holding a rope in his left hand to symbolize bondage to ego and self-indulgence. In his right hand he holds a sword poised to cut loose those bonds and all other impediments in the way of enlightenment. Ancient interpretations of Fudo Myoh-oh show him as a messenger of the Buddha and as such he is given a boyish body, but because he combats evil and symbolizes the destruction of wickedness, his face is filled with rage.

Traditional Buddhist literature describes him as having bulging eyes and ferocious, protruding teeth. The braid over his left shoulder suggests his servant status. Fudo is also loved for his ability to control disease, subdue enemies, and to assist in the acquisition of wealth and peace.

The sculpture was made according to techniques dating back to the 11th century. It was fabricated with the help of students at the Maryland Institute College of Art and donated to Becton Dickinson by the Institute to insure its preservation as a work of art and as a symbol of friendship and understanding between Japan and the United States.

The Becton Dickinson sculpture is the largest wooden Fudo Myoh-oh in the world. The following images were taken during the 2-year project. The video that follows offers fascinating details of the entire project, who was invilved, the ceremonies, the challenges - a wonderful documentary.

When completed in 1993 MICA sought a permanent location for this giant 2-and-a-half-story sculpture. BD's campus of beautiful award-winning buildings became a perfect home with its large sunlit atriums. The Buddha was placed in one such room at the head of an ornamental pond, providing humidity that helps prevent damage to the wood. A large hole was cut into the side of the building to install the sculpture.

Art Conservation Techniques

Fudo Myo-o art conservation

My assistant and I spent 2 days removing dust and repairing sections of gold and silver leaf.

We used special brushes made of squirrel hair. Unlike other brush hairs, squirrel has no barbs which is ideal for removing dust without damaging the leaf or lacquer.

Scaffolding was carefully constructed so that no part of it touches the sculpture while allowing close contact with every surface. Gloves are worn at all times so that the corrosive oils in our hands never come in contact with the art.

The scaffolding costs several thousand dollars for our 2 days of use. Luckily, the dust buildup takes about 5 years before it becomes visible and thus requiring our services again.

 

Iconography

Known as Fudō Myō-ō, this is the wrathful Buddha venerated especially by the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism.

Fudō converts anger into salvation with a furious face that subdues all impediments to the spiritual goals of wisdom and compassion.

art conservation - buddha in New Jersey

His devil-subduing sword represents wisdom cutting through ignorance. His rope symbolizes several things - catching and binding demon impediments to knowledge as well as the terribly binding and restrictive quality of our egos and ignorance. The third eye in his forehead is all-seeing. He stands upon a rock representing the immovability of faith.

Fudō is also worshiped as a deity who can bring good health and financial success.

Myō-ō is the Japanese term for a group of warlike and wrathful deities known as the Wisdom Kings. All Myō-ō statues appear ferocious and menacing, protecting the teachings, removing all obstacles to understanding, and forcing evil to surrender. Introduced to Japan in the 9th century, the Myō-ō were originally Hindu deities that were adopted into Buddhism. In Japan, among all the different Myō-ō, Fudō is the most widely venerated.

We finished our work, bowed respectfully to Fudo and wished him well until our next scheduled visit, or until his venerable protector, BD's Projects & Facility Services Manager, Tony Albanese, calls again.

New Developments

Recently, a reader contacted me. Peter Wechsler was a student at MICA when this sculpture was created and became a life-long friend of the chief sculptor, Mr. Hashimoto. He kindly shared his fascinating memories.

I met Hashimoto when he worked at MICA. He is from Fukushima, where I also studied temple carpentry. Fortunately, his family was OK after the earthquake, but were probably not too far from the nuclear plant. As I recall, he and two other sculptors, all students of the same teacher, came over to MICA together, but I think Hashimoto stayed the longest. I believe a patron in Japan supplied the money for the project. The sculpture was created using a traditional technique called 'yosegi' or joined wood, gluing together blocks of wood, in this case Alaskan yellow cedar.

They made a model of the sculpture, and sliced it into thin sections, each representing one 2" thick section of the finished sculpture, or whatever the size of the materials they were using. They then glued these together and assembled them. The inside is hollow to save on materials and weight, and to avoid problems with humidity. They then started carving, using all hand tools which took quite a while. Then they painted it and inserted the glass eyes.

The paint is a very durable finish made from the sap of urushi, a relative of poison ivy, so those who use it usually have strong reactions until they develop a tolerance. It also requires humidity to cure. Then they applied the gold leaf.

After it was finished, there was an impressive fire ceremony with a Tendai priest. They also read a poem about Fudo Myo by Gary Snyder that I haven't been able to find. However, I came across an interesting account of hiking in the Japanese mountains in 1969 by him that talks a little about Fudo Myo's position in Japanese Buddhism.

http://www.kyotojournal.org/the-journal/spirit/the-womb-diamond-trail/

I think they assumed that it would be easy to find a home for the statue when it was finished, but was too big for most interior spaces. It couldn't be left outside without a building. We talked about building some sort of building, but it was also probably too religious for most public spaces. It was therefore a big relief when they made contact with the CEO of Becton Dickinson who was interested in Asian art.

They were just building their new headquarters which sounded perfect. I went up there to visit when they installed it. The head and arms were removed and I could see marks where they had dragged it through the hallways. The space seemed perfect with a fountain for humidity and the skylight. I remember talking to one of the guards who said some of them were afraid to go in there at night. He said he went in there once and it was looking down at him with lightning visible through the skylight.

Later [in my career as a carpenter] I went over to Japan and worked on a temple where Hashimoto was creating carvings, and visited him a couple of times at his home in Kyoto. He later moved to Osaka and I visited him when I was there three or four years ago. I definitely recommend getting in touch. His house is a taste of an older Japan, and he would probably be happy to put you up...

Peter

And this from another reader, David Brown.

I was the Director of Exhibitions at MICA from 1989-96. Yashuhiko, the lead, and his two accomplished sculptors had a temporary studio in the parking lot of the old train station which housed among other things, the school's library, the Decker Gallery, and grad and undergrad sculpture studios and classrooms.

Fudo was created in a three story temp studio made out of corrugated metal with large front doors. We checked on the progress almost everyday by looking through the gap in the doors, watching the work slowly come together.

I took the artist James Grashow there to see the work. Grashow was there to help oversee the installation of his giant standing sculpture called 'Building Man' and was so blown away that when I see him today, that's always the first thing he brings up. We envisioned a battle between Building Man and Fudo, knowing full well that we didn't stand a chance! Building Man is a cross between a skyscraper and a business man, complete with Gulliver-like tiny attendants, hanging off the side, washing windows, elevators in the shoes...a nice work for Grashow, who resides in Connecticut.

There was a series of ceremonies that blessed the creation but I can't recall what they were or if I even attended.

I found these two stories online today from the Baltimore Sun that may shed some light:

Fudo Myo-o 20192019 Journal Article

A contemporary Buddhist statue thought to be the world's largest wooden image of the deity Fudo Myo-O recently passed the 25th year since it was completed and installed in its permanent home on the U.S. East Coast, following a years-long collaboration between a team of Japanese sculptors and the Maryland arts community that embraced the project.

The cedar statue, which stands just over 10 meters tall, depicts "The Immovable King of Light" -- a benevolent but fearsome manifestation of the Buddha who wields a sword, coiled rope and angry scowl against evils such as illusion and ignorance.

Yasuhiko Hashimoto, 64, the sculptor who initiated and led the effort along with colleagues Jinichi Ito and Isao Yanagimoto, said he felt drawn to the project at a time when Japanese culture was not well- known or appreciated in the United States.

"I knew America to be a free and open-minded country, though at the time (in the early 1990s) Americans tended to see Japan as an industrial nation represented by its cars," said Hashimoto, a native of Fukushima Prefecture who lives in Osaka. "Creating a Buddhist statue was a way to help introduce them to the depth of Japan's spiritual culture."

The project, which took place over the course of three years, officially began in the summer of 1990 at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. With outside funding including from a Japanese arts patron and local in-kind donations, the sculptors worked in a temporary studio built for the purpose in a campus parking lot to bring the massive 6-ton figure to life.

While not explicitly aiming to create the world's largest statue of its kind, Hashimoto wanted to exceed both the 5-meter Fudo Myo-O the trio had previously made for a temple in Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture as well as the 8-meter historical masterpieces by 12th/13th-century sculptors Unkei and Kaikei, whose realism in depicting Buddhist deities greatly influenced the present Fudo's style.

"The audacity of size is a tremendous statement in this work," said Jane Elkinton, an Asian art specialist who witnessed the sculpture's creation as a professor at the Maryland Institute.

She explained that while "the stance, lay of the drapery with its elegant flutters, and proportions" of the giant work are consistent with Japanese tradition, it also embodies a "humanistic quality" for the sake of Western viewers by changing the customary blue skin to a warmer, human tone and shifting the typically straight-ahead angry glare to a "less confrontational" gaze to the side.

The sculpture team used the "yosegi zukuri" or joined-block technique to assemble the figure from multiple hollow parts, giving students and visitors an understanding of an artistic practice perfected in 11th-century Japan.

"The greatest aspect of the project was the overwhelming generosity on the part of the sculptors," Elkinton said. "Hashimoto inspired everyone who visited his studio with his talent, his ready communication, and his enthusiasm."

From its early stages, the project sparked interest among students who either assisted in the sculpture work or helped spread the word beyond campus. Kerrie Bellisario, a senior at the art school when the project was starting, heard about it through her library job and soon got involved as a liaison for the press and a guide for visiting groups.

"Jinichi Ito taught me basic carving techniques, and with a group of schoolchildren we did some carving on one leg of the Fudo," she recalled. "Seeing the Fudo, carving it, and being introduced to Japanese culture was such an eye-opening experience for the children."

Bellisario went on to visit Japan a number of times while organizing an international art exhibit in Hiroshima, a collaboration with other students from the sculpture project that became an important early step toward her career as a design teacher and international curator.

"If it weren't for the Fudo project which led to the Bridge (program in Hiroshima), I can't imagine what path my life would have taken," she said.

More than a year after getting under way, the team finished its detailed carving work and assembled the unpainted figure at its full height for the first time in 1991.

The lacquering, painting, gold leaf work and other finishing touches were completed after a six- month hiatus, during which arrangements were made to donate the piece to Becton, Dickinson and Company for its headquarters in northern New Jersey, where it still stands today.

Every few years, conservators visit the medical technology company's 140-acre (about 567,000-square-meter) campus to attend to the statue, removing dust with special squirrel-hair brushes and reapplying gold leaf as necessary.

"I'm grateful the piece continues to be cared for so well, and also for the open-mindedness of everyone who embraced the project in the first place," Hashimoto said.

"Although we couldn't readily express in English what we wanted to share, the experience let us communicate with American people whose kindness and curiosity about the world we will never forget."

Following completion of the project, Hashimoto continued to sculpt fine-art pieces that have appeared in shows across Japan and abroad, while Ito resumed his work in temple carpentry.

Yanagimoto, alongside whom Hashimoto had apprenticed under the late Japanese Order of Culture- winning sculptor Seiko Sawada, has since become a university professor.

The deity Fudo Myo-O, known as Acala in the Hindu tradition where it originated, gained prominence in Japanese Buddhism over a thousand years ago, particularly in the burnt-offering ceremonies of the Shingon sect.

The protector god was depicted in wood sculptures in Japan as early as the 9th century, with larger figures in a standing position appearing in the 11th century as the joined-block technique advanced.

Myokei Matsumoto, a well-known Japanese sculptor of Buddhist images, is reportedly at work on a wooden Fudo in excess of 10 meters for a temple in Saitama Prefecture, with completion expected around the opening of the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2020."

Sculpture Restoration for Williams College

by 2 Comments

What Began as an Installation Became a Restoration

Uh Oh, Something's Missing!

Arts Management Services LLC (AMS) installed a sculpture from the collection of the Williams College Museum of Art.

1 week installation in 1.5 minutes!

It's a sculpture by the environmental artist and architect Michael Singer entitled Ritual Series 1990 now on exhibit through February 19, 2017.

It's the centerpiece of a group exhibition titled 'Shaping Space,' which also includes works by Richard Serra, Mel Edwards, and Louise Nevelson. To learn more about this exhibition, visit the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA).

During the installation I discovered that a few pieces were missing much to the chagrin of the artist and museum staff. After an extensive search the pieces were not found. Michael Singer determined that the sculpture looked fine to exhibit, but that the missing pieces should be restored.

So WCMA commissioned AMS to restore the missing pieces. My son William joined me and we completed the project and replaced the missing pieces on February 7.

Acquisition

Arts Management Services assisted in the original fabrication of this sculpture in the early '90's.

Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts added this sculpture to their permanent collection as a gift from an alumnus and closest friend of the artist, Dr. William Fishkind.

About the Sculpture

Art Installation by Arts Management Services

Ritual Series, 1990 consists of wood, granite, field stone, copper and bronze measuring 230″ x 230″ x 75″ tall.

The wood has a gorgeous texture created by sand-blasting 2″ thick rough-cut pine, harvested from the woods nearby Michael's Vermont studio by a local mill. After sand-blasting, the large and heavy planks were carefully singed to create an ancient look. The wood is not coated and easily bruised so handling is careful with gloves at all times. Likewise packing and storage is done with special care to avoid bruising or scratching the soft wood.

Field stone was collected from around the artists 100-acre property in the mountains of southern Vermont. Mr. Singer would assemble a group of us from his studio and line us up behind him in a single row. We would then follow him all over his fields like ducklings. He would point to a rock and one of us would pick it up and carry it. Most were too heavy to carry more than one. When we all had one we would load them on his pickup truck and transport them to be cut flat on one end.

Holes were drilled into the planks. These holes refer to the aboriginal maritime culture of the Chumash who lived along the coast of what is now California. They created their canoes by lashing planks together which they referred to as Tomol, which was the original name of this artwork when first exhibited outdoors in a dry riverbed of the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens.

Another interesting feature is the 'barrewood' and the barrewood patterns reflected in some of the bronze elements. Barrewood is a term used by the artist because these distinct patterns are created by huge saw blades that cut thru granite and slightly into 2 x 4 planks that line and protect the floor. Michael's stone cutters are located in Barre, Vermont.

The Installation

Williams College art installation

One of the secrets of this artist's work is the precise degree of vertical plumb and horizontal level. Most good carpenters notice when something is off-level by anywhere from an 1/8″ to 1/4." Incredibly, Mr. Singer notices pieces that are off-level by only 1/32″! This precision creates a subliminal effect of calm and quiet, making the heaviness of stone, metal and thick wood seem light, floating, contemplative, even otherworldly. This stunning effect can be felt in this and many of his other sculptures.

Many of the granite and bronze pieces are heavy and the long and thick pine planks bulky, needing 2 to handle and place precisely according to the instructions.

Our team devised an instructional system with carefully marked photographs whereby intricate sculpture such as this can be assembled and disassembled by museum and gallery preparators.

This art installation required two people five days to install.

This is only the second showing of this sculpture at Williams since it's purchase and exhibition in 1990. The current exhibition notes this about the artist and this work:

In 1971, Michael Singer fled New York City and settled in rural Vermont, where he found solace and renewed inspiration in nature. Comprised of sculptures and landwork, much of Singer's body of work exists outside of traditional art spaces. In his architectural designs, gardens indoor and outdoor artworks, and infrastructure projects, he consistently endeavors to produce ecologically sustainable objects and spaces that draw inspiration from their particular environment. This sculpture is part of Singer's ongoing Ritual Series, a collection of indoor installations crafted using an array of natural materials. Curved wooden beams enclose a labyrinthine interior of stone, metal, and wooden forms. For Singer, this central sanctum is akin to an inner realm - a sacred space from which to contemplate one's place in the natural world.

Sculpture Restoration at the Winfield House

by

Sculpture Restoration Begins With a Conditions Report and Repair Estimate

This brief trip to London was to inspect the indoor and outdoor sculpture at the US Embassy and the Ambassador’s residence at the Winfield House. I return in the coming months for sculpture restoration.

The One Ton Eagle

sculpture repair - arts management services

First stop was our embassy to look at 15 indoor sculptures, mostly busts of presidents in bronze, resin, and plaster. Next I ventured out onto the roof to inspect the 37 foot long, two thousand pound aluminum “Eagle” by Theodore Roszak that perches six stories above street level.

In 1960 when the eagle was placed atop the embassy, locals hated it as a symbol of American poor taste and brash attitude. Now, 56 years later, our embassy is moving to a new location and the old building has been sold to a businessman from Qatar. Ah, how time heals, because now the neighborhood insists that the building and especially the eagle remain.

So the Qarari businessman has agreed to restore the building rather than tear it down for a new hotel. He also agreed to keep the eagle where it is. The US for their part agreed to gift the sculpture and share the history of its maintenance. One of those rare stories of conflict where all parties end up happy!

One of my tasks is to figure out how exactly this piece was coated over all the years it was exposed to the elements. What kind of resin coating was used? How many coats? Did any contain metal, because this sculpture is often described as ‘guilt’ which is a reference to a coating that contains metal. The new owner intends to care for the sculpture in the best way possible by removing, cleaning, and re-coat it before placing it back on its perch as a major attraction in its rooftop restaurant and bar.

Oh, and about that 6-story high detail, this is a bit of a challenge since I’m not all that comfortable with heights! I survived the inspection, but any restoration by me will have to wait until it’s lowered to the ground.

Gorgeous Winfield House

art repair - Winfield House

Next it was off to the Winfield House to inspect all of the permanent outdoor sculpture and a garden pool. During this visit I had the pleasure of interviewing the talented Head Gardener of 20 years, Mr. Stephen Crisp, who was most generous with his time and whose input was invaluable for the report.

These inspections were arranged for the following reasons:

  1. Determine how best to prepare the eagle for its transition to new ownership.
  2. Determine if there are any current sculpture restoration needs.
  3. Create a plan for ongoing maintenance of the sculpture and pool.

My employer for this project is the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) and the US State Department’s Art in Embassies program. The folks in these organizations are a pleasure to work with. We’ve worked on several sculpture restoration and Art Conservation - Winfield Houseinstallation projects over the years including our consulate in Istanbul and our embassy in Athens. After this London project there’s talk of work to be done on an outdoor fountain at our embassy in Japan.

The plan is to return in August when the Ambassador and his family are on vacation, to spend two weeks restoring the artworks so that minor maintenance by in-house staff is all that is needed for decades to come.

To give you a sense of the unusual challenges that come with every project, two concrete garden ornaments in the approximate shape of the American bald eagle, with no artistic value whatsoever, must be replaced! It turns out that major garden publications often feature the exquisite grounds of the Winfield House, and photographs often include these eagles. Thus, although they have no artistic value, they have a great deal of aesthetic value. They have deteriorated over time, been chipped and glued, and now need replacement.

sculpture repair at the Winfield HouseNo identical concrete eagles have been located. So a discussion is now underway as to whether we should replace them with similar eagles, replace them with flower-filled urns which look quite nice as well, or make molds of these and make copies. Or do we leave the whole issue up to the fine taste of the gardening staff to do whatever they think is in keeping with the look and feel of the entire garden?

If we copy the existing eagles, we would then let them sit outdoors in some storage area for about 18 month in order to age so that the next time there’s a repair need we’ll simply replace the two eagles with our copies and no one will even notice!

Art Restoration at the Denver International Airport

by

Back Again!

One of Several Visits

Denver Airport Art Repair

This is the latest of several visits to Denver International Airport (DIA) to restore the large Michael Singer sculpture in Concourse C.

On at least two occasions since the sculpture was installed in 1994 irrigation has failed and the art has been removed to repair or replace the irrigation. In these instances I set the artwork back in place. On another occasion, rot required the replacement of several elements.

This is always a delightful project as the staff of DIA are wonderful.

Critics Love It!

art repair of Michael Singer sculpture

Here’s what one local has written about this striking work of art:

“In 1994 nature took over the 650 square meter Concourse C within the Denver International Airport and changed the usual anonymous, expected airport in both a dramatic and evocative way.

Singer’s public art project brought nature into the antiseptic airport setting by creating a vast, indoor garden, in which various climbing plants creep up the walls and across the concrete surfaces.  There is, on the whole, a multitude of intense connections between the non-linear growth elements and the more linear structures in the sculptural forms.

The garden can be viewed from the level above, where there is a McDonald’s restaurant and other fast food shops, a fascinating contrast. Singer comments, “the garden is covered with vines, ferns, all manner of growth. It becomes a living ecology, and therefore a complete contradiction to its surroundings.”   The garden, akin to the Japanese Zen-gardens, can be viewed from several vantage points but is not open and available directly to the public, which gives it a mysterious air.

However, it establishes a network of expressive, contrasting effects in its grey, cold surroundings.  The moss-covered surfaces in the northeastern end of the space lead one’s thoughts to the Moss Gardens in Kyoto, creating a poetic Japanese reference.”

For more from this article go to https://allegedlyapparent.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/dia-concourse-cs-unnamed-mystery-ruins-art.

And here’s what the artist says about his Atrium Garden:

“Concourse C of the Denver International Airport was re-imagined as a garden oasis within the steel and concrete cathedral-like core of the building. The garden encompasses the entire circulation space where passengers enter and exit the airport train connecting the concourse to the main airport terminal. On the lower level, adjacent to the trains, is a sculpted 7,000 square foot plaza of patterned inlaid granite and copper. Exiting the train one immediately steps upon this patterned plaza and can see hints of the garden above where the sculpted walls emerge from the platforms above the trains. As one travels up the stairs or escalator to the main concourse level the garden slowly emerges as two surrounding stepped gardens bounded by sculpted walls. The two facing gardens, each built over the train system below, frame the entire circulation core, creating the experience of ascending into the garden from below or descending into the garden from above (when returning to the main terminal). The design of the garden takes advantage of this unique experiential space with a layering of multiple sculptural levels and details that are sequentially revealed by moving through the building and ultimately understood as a whole by viewing the entire interior garden from above.

Repair of Sculpture at DIA

The two 2,500 square foot gardens are sculpted from stone, wood, concrete panels, stucco, soil and vegetation. The walls of the garden space are fifteen feet high and constructed at an angle, creating the illusion of deep hallow spaces behind the walls. Carefully selected vines climb and weave through the patinated walls and over the ground plane and sculptural elements. A moss garden is placed at the northeast end of the space, in other areas ferns abound. During periods of growth the garden vegetation can overtake the sculptural elements, leaving only traces and glimpses of the complex pieces below, and creating the sense of an archeological ruin. In the original construction irrigation water was allowed to wet the sculptural elements creating small pools of water within the garden, making the interior garden seem as though it were outdoors.

This project was restored in 2007 at the request of Denver International Airport. Prior to the restoration Michael Singer Studio received numerous inquires about the gardens expressing concern that the irrigation system had been turned off and the garden was dying. Several individuals, including travelers and people who work in the concourse noted that the gardens were also providing a refuge for birds trapped within the airport. They feared without the garden that the birds might not survive. In part due to these inquires, the waterproofing and irrigation systems were upgraded and the gardens were restored and re-planted.”

For more from the artist go to http://www.michaelsinger.com/project/denver-airport-concourse-c-atrium/.

The Restoration

My team and I completed the latest art repair, restoring it to the artist’s original intent.

The moss in one of the central concrete and wood elements did not establish itself despite the special addition of buttermilk to the concrete mixture which fosters moss growth on concrete. This failure was due to a lack of moisture. The irrigation has never been able to deliver enough moisture to this area. So artificial moss is now used and surprisingly looks quite nice.

It’s a beautiful airport terminal complex with lots of wonderful art. I highly recommend visiting DIA even if you’re not flying.

Art Installation at Singer Studio Gallery

by

Gallery Installation

Art Installation - Michael Singer sculpture

Arts Management Services LLC (AMS) provides art installation, restoration, and conservation for artists, museums, and corporate collectors.

One of my clients is the environmental artist and architect, Michael Singer. He commissioned AMS to install one of his earliest sculptures created in the 70’s.

This is a sculpture he decided to keep rather than sell. We removed it from his storage facility and installed it in his Sculpture Gallery, one of the many studio buildings at his summer residence in southern Vermont. He often refers to earlier work as part of his process for creating a new one. It’s always fascinating to see what results. Sometimes he even changes the earlier piece. Not this time – so far!

New Project

The installation is also part of a new project by Singer Studios to simplify instructions so that the many museums that own his artworks can exhibit them without the added expense of our help.This has become an important issue. Several years ago Michael asked AMS to study the question of why his work was not exhibited more often. As a result, we discovered that museums would be more likely to show his work if it was not so complicated or expensive to install.

We tried many instructional methods including video, 3-D instructions, and transparent overlays. AMS and Singer Studio staff used this piece to develop, test, and refine a new way to create installation instructions. This time we tried photographing each element as we placed it on the sculpture, then adding measurements and helpful comments on each photograph.

Success

We found that our new instructional method was a complete success. It simplified the installation process so much that any museum preparator could do it themselves.

AMS then composed a draft letter to the museums which own Singer sculpture. Michael customized each letter and sent it, followed by phone contact. The response was very positive. As a result, our first customer for new and improved instructions is the Williams College Museum of Art, followed hopefully by MOMA, Guggenheim, Wellesley College, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark.

The process for creating new instructions takes one week. It involves installing and de-installing a sculpture in a vacant room in the museum. AMS creates the new instructions. Singer studio pays all the expenses and the museum provides space and one person to assist.

This particular installation required one person for four full days. No restoration was required. The piece is made of rough pine and field stone, and it’s in excellent condition.