Comments for Randall's Urban Architectural Sculptures

Comment on Art Deco Rats by Randall

Randall — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:46:25 +0000

Hi Jeff,
Yeah been busy here, it’s going okay!
I have a possible client for 2 of my Webster panels in concrete which will be nice to do.

I also found a gothic gargoyle at an auction house I’m going to bid on, not sure I can bid high enough at this point and then there’s the shipping, it’s 50″ long, but we’ll see. Place doesn’t take credit cards or PayPal either, and then there’s the 22.5% buyer’s premium they add on top.
Meanwhile, I’m happy that I found a TC piece that was once mine

Interestingly it’s mentioned in my daily log on the message board in the January 1977 folder. I happened to find it at a California antique shop and recognized it immediately. They have 4, 2 make a set and I bought just 1 mainly because they wanted a pretty good price for them- asking $750 each.

When I talked to the fellow who had them on consignment I mentioned that these probably had a magic marker notation on the top of 300W137 or close to that and he said yeah he thinks he noticed something like that.
Funny, where has it been the last 22 years I wonder!
The blocks have a morphed creature with a face like a bulldog.

Sounds like you will be busy throwing, that’s good Jeff, I haven’t done that with clay but have seen it done.
It’s been cloudy and rainy or cloudy here for a while, now windy and cool.
As far as drawings, I dont think it works in here, but we could move to the message board if I set up an acct for you- that does allow pictures and files be posted.

Comment on Art Deco Rats by jeff

jeff — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:44:07 +0000

Hey Randall,
Been a while..Hows it goin?
I’m planning the water feature for the restaurant, going to get some of my pressing clay and some modelling clay. It looks like its a go anyway, I’ll post the drawing if theres a way for me to do it…
The other day I was looking for work on craigslist and I answered an ad for a production thrower out near the seacoast. So I drove out there and threw for the guy and talked, he’s got a huge studio complex and fires one of three 100cf salt kilns pretty much constantly. 15 workers and no one throws! Its all itinerant like I would be, paid piece rate.
It was very comfortable sitting down to that work and it made me realize I should do it at least part time and not just for money, but the peace of mind you can get, very meditative.
Anyway hows the weather out there?
We just had a cold rain that hinted of things to come but weve had no snow as yet.
If you know someone who has a teenager ask the kid if they have SPORE….and check it out man its a gas.

Comment on Art Deco Rats by jeff

jeff — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:32:19 +0000

Thank you for your understanding my little outpouring.
To be sure we will not have this sort of thing happening any less …I’ve been through it before. The book you got was like an uncle aged person to him I think but yes same in a way His perspective as a black man was very unique. He hung out with Miles and even did some roady work for him. He rehabbed housing in the Bronx and later in Boston.
He traveled to Italy many times. And he was bringing African roots and meaning back into the black culture of America. All things I had never even thought about (except going to Italy)
It was like a whole parallel world thing….very unique experience I will cherish that time it was high quality human exchange.
Just like this is between you and I
I’m very grateful to coincidence, and I’m not sorry I know what I know.

Comment on Art Deco Rats by Randall

Randall — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:37:34 +0000

I’m truly sorry to read that Jeff, my condolences!
We’ve all run into that sort of thing unfortunately, and there’s a few like that in my life who are no longer there as well, and there’s a few friends I’ve lost contact with in my teens as well as my birth parents who would be nice to find, but as time goes on those things become less likely.

60′s is pretty young!

I picked up a 1938 yearbook from PS 28 in the Bronx, it had a photo of the school and lots of graduation notes, I’m guessing the owner was born in 1920 and that the reason it was for sale is his family cleaned out his posessions as he would be 88 now assuming he is still alive. His age was such he probably was drafted in WW2 and maybe didnt make it back, someone kept this little diary book all these years and then it gets disposed of on Ebay to the highest bidder…

Comment on Art Deco Rats by jeff

jeff — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:41:19 +0000

Nice lion.
I just got some bad news about a man I met recently who passed away of a stroke. He was in his early 60′s and grew up in Harlem NY, his name was Philip Parker.
When he called me for the first time late last year he said he wished he had found me 10 yrs ago..I had said back to him I’ve been waiting for 10 yrs for you to call where have you been? He was of west african descent and had some really nice ideas about making African themed architectural terracotta. I had been casting some statuary of Benin origin for him and had just been to see a show in Chicago about the Benin kingdom, had called him to tell him and had not reached him. Didnt think much of it until I didnt hear from him for a couple weeks. No family and I didnt know his friends so it took a call to his workplace today to find out that he had passed 2 weeks ago.
He grew up at a time when you hung out on the corner with your miles davis album tucked under your arm..he was a cool cat. Aside from the distinct pleasure of knowing a gentleman like him we had discussed some beautiful ideas for entries, lintels, garden statuary etc…we were both excited and happy to have found each other and were becoming meaningful friends. It seems unfair to lose such a thing. I suppose I will remember the good part, the part where I met him at all, his uproarious laugh, his vigorous love of life.
He shared the gift we share, eyes that see more than most. In the coldness of architecture he saw the warmth of the human touch and of the symbols of human existence. I will miss him.

Comment on Art Deco Rats by jeff

jeff — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:35:37 +0000

Cool…way to go with showing at gallery..your work brings credence to sculpture. I’m doing some torso sculpture but want to work larger so maybe this winter I’ll go to 1/4 scale torso.
I can understand how secure you must feel with the steady job. Personally I’ve never had it. I began working for myself in 1987 after 4 apprenticeships. We have 2 incomes so we make it. But that has meant also doing tile and stone installation for almost 20 yrs.yikes!! it has however taught me the whole other side of tc if you know what I mean. I can see the whole construction picture when I look at a building and I know what I can do and how.
Instead of gallery shows which I love doing, I’m going to keep presenting at these conferences and possibly get a booth at a spring 09 show. It’s only gonna take a few architects to get me going. I’m also working on some cast stone ideas for boston region. It definitely appears to make sense that a local producer of cast stone can have an edge over both the lead time and the shipping cost from TX and elsewhere. So I’m working on a line of mantles and surrounds with a showroom in Southern NH.
How much do you get into bricks and brickmaking? I’ve been into it since early 80′s, discovered raphael guastavino’s kiln and home in black mountain nc, researched hudson river makers and upstate where i grew up around owego. Thats why I’m so interested in the Corning site. It was a local company that was bought out by new york architectural terracotta and they cranked out the natural unglazed stuff…but it all came from brick production. Those years were the best years for brick production in terms of quality and how incredibly durable the ornate unglazed tc buildings are with their matching brickwork..yum love it.