Suzanne Berkes Ceramic Installation at Danville Metal
Metal Work: In Progress wall by Suzanne Berkes, in front of the Danville Metal Corporate Office, Danville, Illinois, 2007.
DANVILLE METAL STAMPING SCULPTURE WALL: SPECIFICATIONS AND NOTES FROM PRESS RELEASE
To commemorate its 60th year of operation, Danville Metal in Danville, Illinois, commissioned a brick sculpture from Suzanne Berkes. Suzanne is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois, who received a Master’s degree in Art Education with a concentration in ceramics. The sculpture was erected on the lawn in front of the Company’s corporate offices on Oakwood Avenue near the entrance to Ellsworth Park in the fall of 2007.
According to Sue Beck, one of the owners of Danville Metal, a daughter of one of the founders and the originator of the idea, Danville Metal’s Oakwood Avenue production facility is located in a former brick factory and that, together with the City of Danville’s recent unveiling of its brick sculpture in Temple Plaza, made a brick sculpture especially appropriate to memorialize the occasion.
The sculpture totals 28 feet in length and forms two-14 foot wings at 120 degrees angle to each other. Approximately 7 tons of bricks were used for the sculpture bricks. Solid, red, earthenware bricks (4” x 8” x 2 3/4”) were used for the sculpture bricks (carved raw), and solid, buff bricks were used for the bottom base bricks. The sculpture bricks were carved, and then installed in 1 to 3 layers over a concrete block core. Sides and back of the wall utilized solid bricks as well. Limestone was used as the capping material, and installed in six sections.
One of the walls depicts people performing various operations at Danville Metal throughout its history, with the two founders of the Company superimposed in the background overlooking the work. The figures depict the progression of the technology utilized by the company from its early days and on toward the future. Each features a prominent hand to emphasize the continuity of well developed craft essential in metal stamping work. The right side depicts a sampling of various parts for gas turbine engines that resulted from those operations over the years.
Close up of the wall by Suzanne Berkes.
The bricks were produced and sculpted at Colonial Brick Corporation in Cayuga, Indiana, and installed by John Leverenz Masonry of Danville. McDowell Builders installed the concrete foundation, and Schultz Nursery designed and installed the landscaping materials.
Most of the carved bricks were fired at Colonial Brick using the traditional brick firing methods which have not differed since the beginning of the last century. In addition, Suzanne used several decorative techniques within the sculptured bricks as well as the cast, stoneware ceramic pieces utilizing AMACO® products. They are described as follows:
Danville Metal Stamping Sculpture Wall Glazing Techniques
February 2007-October 2007
Figure 1.
Figure 1: Solid, red earthenware bricks were fired in beehive kilns (Colonial Brick Corp. in Cayuga, Indiana) with sawdust and coal to witness cone 02 over a period of eleven days, cooled for 3-4 days. Next, 3 coats of AMACO® L-518 Lustre Gold was applied on carved areas of the bricks and fired to cone 02 in electric kiln. Hanovia Lustre Liquid Bright Gold A3200 was applied over the luster to cone 017.
Figure 2.
Figure 2:
a. Stoneware castings were washed with a manganese/red iron/cobalt oxide/copper carbonate stain, rinsed then glazed with 3 coats of AMACO® L-518 Lustre Gold. 1-2 coats of AMACO® TH-1 Texturizer was applied and fired to cone 6. Clay bodies were AMACO® Off White Sculpture, Raku Clay No. 27, buff mid-range stoneware and brown mid-range stoneware.
b. Small metal parts which the company, Danville Metal Stamping produces were cast in plaster, then AMACO® Off White Sculpture, Raku Clay No. 27 was used to cast them in multiples and applied to relief areas of the brick sculpture using epoxy adhesive and stainless steel pins. These small cast parts were glazed with 3 coats AMACO® L-514 Midnight Blue and 1-2 coats TH-1 Texturizer and then fired in an electric kiln to cone 6.
c. Stoneware castings were washed with a manganese/red iron/cobalt/copper carbonate stain, rinsed, then AMACO® Clear Satin HF-12, was applied with two coats.
Figure 3.
Figure 3 and 4: Bricks were bisque fired as above with mason stains, and Velvet underglazes V-336 Royal Blue and V-370 Velour Black mixed and applied in 2 coats and fired to cone 02 in electric kiln.
Figure 4.
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