Mounting a sculpture

["GeorgeJulieJessie Graham" <gjjgraham@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

To my sculptor friends,

I think I can add something to this subject, so here it is.
I live in western NY, where we have very long  cold winters. Extream winters
have a powerful effect on outdoor sculpture. More to point is the problem of
freezing and thawing on foundations built below grade. We call it heaving
around here.

If a permanent foundation is being built for a sculpture, it must go deep
enough to be below the frost line. All concrete foundations must be more
than 3 feet deep. Otherwise when the ground freezes and expands it will push
the foundation up and out of the ground. The damage gets progressivily worse
until you have a very badly tilted sculpture. Just look in an old cemetary
at the badly tilted monuments.

If you can't do concrete, you can use crusher run gravel which can be packed
very tightly, then put some kind of base on top. A slab of stone or concrete
to pin your sculpture to.  You just have to expect to go back and relevel
the job in the future. Leveling is easy with a pry bar, level and some more
gravel.

In all the installations and commissions I've done ,I've learned that proper
foundations are a major part of the cost and planning. If done right you
will never have to worry about it.

On the subject of pinning, I've got one rule, never, never, never use rebar,
or regular steel. In the short run, you will get rust stains.In the long
run, steel will oxidize, and expand, possibly cracking your sculpture. I use
bronze, or good stainless steel and stone epoxy. The pin in a sleeve method
is great , if there is a chance that your sculpture will have to be moved in
the future.

Good luck and do it right the first time.
George Graham