Reviving a Lost Art.
Please note that all of the items shown here, including the image at the top of the page, are fabricated from hand sculpted cement.
Click any of the images below for a larger view
NOTE: For information regarding a series of four classes I will be teaching in 2010, please see the separate blogsite that details these events by clicking the link below...
Click here for Introductory & Advanced Classes in Sculpting Ferrocement Faux Bois Info
Faux Bois
(French for "False Wood")
This school of art goes back as far as "art" itself. From our very beginnings, artists have been fascinated with the infinite variety of shapes, forms and textures that Mother Nature expresses in trees and their wood. And while the French are indeed to be credited with giving this art a name, there are examples to be found that far predate the existence of France as a nation.
The modern schools of this art today encompass two principle branches. One employed by highly skilled wood finishers that involves itself with making "lesser" woods such as pine, have the appearance of a "finer" or more exotic wood. The other branch creates three dimensional representations of wood and wooden objects by applying various cement-based mixtures onto a steel framework or "armature", and sculpting it to mimic the real material.
The subject of this brief essay is the three dimensional variety,
also known as Ferrocement Faux Bois.
Ferrocement Faux Bois is a very popular and much sought after category among serious antique collectors. One of the most notable of whom is Martha Stewart, who collects antique as well as modern works executed by the very few remaining artisans still practicing this craft. Sadly, there are only a handful of artisans alive today who are capable of executing Faux Bois at the masterwork level.
The most familiar works are those imported from Europe by antique dealers specializing in garden art. Typically they have what I refer to as a "French" finish composed of a gray, lightly sanded mortar mixture of Portland cement and sand. What few people today, including many collectors, do not realize, is that the vast majority of these pieces were at one time painted. Often quite garishly. Thankfully, nearly all of the paint has succumbed to the nature of the concrete and fallen off, leaving only a faded and aged patina. Many of these works are crude. Others more convincing in their detail. Most of the better pieces were constructed from about 1880 to WWII, but there were a few very capable craftsmen still producing an utterly amazing body of work well into the 1950's...right here in America.
Today, the very best of those major works rightfully represent an entire category on the National Register of Historic Places. And there is a serious movement taking place to add many more and restore them to the former glory that as much as a century of neglect has all but erased in many cases.
How it is Created
The process of creating these works is at once complex, technically demanding and extraordinarily labor intensive. It involves first building a steel framework (referred to by sculptors as an "armature"), securing and forming metal mesh known as "lath", then building up multiple layers of concrete, mortar and often pure cement paste. All the while, shaping, sculpting and detailing the material as it hardens. Once the process of adding cement-based media begins...there is no stopping. The material will not wait and absolutely must be worked from beginning to end. Complex and highly detailed works can often require an artist to work non-stop for 12 to 24 hours to achieve many specific effects. Little wonder it is less than popular with today's generation of artists. But there are rewards for the few who invest themselves in this demanding art, as well as the buyers of these rare works. Because the time and effort put into a quality piece is also reflected in its' longevity. Properly formulated and skillfully placed modern cement formulations can endure exposure to the elements for an estimated fifty-thousand years. How's that for "heirloom".
And while works of this calibre are obviously rare and understandably expensive, they can still be found or commissioned by a properly skilled sculptor.
_______________________________________
NOTE: I am currently working on an interesting bench commission and have an active online photo album of this works development. The images are being continuously updated as the work progresses. Follow along from these links...
Bench Commission Progress Part One
Bench Commission Progress Part Two
Update, December 31, 2008: This project is now complete and was installed on New Year's Eve Day of 2008. The links above show the processes required to construct the work shown below.
_______________________________________
To Learn More
To learn more, visit the site below. It is dedicated to teaching and sharing many of the "lost" techniques involved in sculpting Ferrocement Faux Bois as well as working with a host of other media for home, garden and interior use. It's all about creating and having fun doing it.
www.thegardenartforum.com
_______________________________________
To Commission One-of-a-Kind, Original
Sculpted Work, Contact My Studio at:
713.225.1806
or via Email:
hoteltango88@yahoo.com
Mailing Address:
Holland & Tucker Studios
1707 Nance Street
Houston, TX 77020
_______________________________________
NOTE: The 2008 "Introduction to Sculpting Ferrocement Faux Bois" class in Montrose, Colorado was a tremendous success and had the largest turnout ever hosted by The Ferrocement Educational Network (FEN). Special thanks goes out to Paul Sarnstrom for all the work he does year round to make such classes possible. Below is a photo of the Class of '08 with the various Faux Bois projects they completed during the week. Great job folks! Thank you all.
