Artist: Ann Malphrus
Hero
GJ: How were you contacted to create this piece?
AM: “Hero” was not a commissioned piece. I was in the process of finishing the clay model when my sister, Dodie Davis, suggested that it would be a great fit for the children’s garden at the Cancer Survivors Park.
Dodie connected me with Kay Roper, the executive director of the Cancer Survivors Park Alliance, and she agreed to pursue placement. I donated him to the park through Dusty Bronze Fine Art.
GJ: What is the inspiration for this piece?
AM: The inspiration for this piece was having faith and courage in the face of adversity.
He was named by Braxton Horton, a patient at the Children’s Cancer Center who participated in a “Name the Bunny” contest sponsored by the Clement’s Kindness Fund.
GJ: What materials did you use to create the statue?
AM: The original piece was created by applying oil-based clay over a support system, or armature, constructed of metal pipes, aluminum wire and Styrofoam home insulation.
GJ: How long did it take to create, and what was the creation process like?
AM: The basic structure of the piece was completed over about a week, but then I worked intermittently on the details over several months. The clay stays soft, allowing me the flexibility to work in whatever spare time that I have, since I also work full-time as a veterinarian.
The finished clay model was then cast into bronze by Inferno Art Foundry in Atlanta using the lost wax method of casting. It is a complex process involving the creation of a silicone mold, wax replica and second hard sand mold encasing the wax. Then molten bronze is poured into the mold, and the resulting form, which is often in pieces, must be cleaned up and reassembled by foundry workers. Finally, chemicals are applied to the surface and heated to produce the surface color or patina.
The foundry process took about four months. The process can be stressful for the artist because the original is destroyed in the process.
GJ: What is your favorite part of the piece and why?
AM: My favorite part of the piece is the rabbit’s right rear foot, which is slipping off the narrow stone wall he is perched on. It speaks to me of the uncertainty we all face in our lives, and it’s fun to give it a rub for good luck.
GJ: When was it completed?
AM: October 2017.
It is located in the Cancer Survivors Park in Greenville.
