The Art and Furniture of Surrealist Sculptors Francoiss-Xavier and Claude Lalanne

Recent conservation projects have featured the work of both François-Xavier Lalanne and his wife and artistic partner, Claude Lalanne. Lalanne turned interior design on its ear when, in 1964, he created a rhinocerous-shaped secretary. A zoo full of creatures followed including his most famous creations, “Moutons,” 24 sheep figures meant to serve as stools or seats. Lalanne counted Max Ernst, Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, and Constantin Brancusi (with whom he shared studio space) as artistic influences. Francois Lalanne died on December 7th, 2008 at his home in the village of Ury, south of Paris.

Projects at the Tatti Studio include:

• “Moutons”
• Bronze Crocodile Chair
• “Chat Polymorphe”, a sculpture with a bar hidden inside
• Pomme de New York
• Ginko Chair

Baltimore Battle Monument

(Click here to watch a video of the restoration)

Lady Baltimore in Wax Mold

Misting Lady Baltimore

During Spring and Summer 2011, Steve Tatti’s conservation team is undertaking the restoration of the historic 1814 Baltimore Battle Monument.  Erected to commemorate the Baltimore citizens lost during the war of 1812, the completion of the monument predates the Washington Monument and is the oldest battle monument in the US.  The monument is depicted on the seal of the City of Baltimore that was adopted in 1827.

The conservation scope includes: cleaning of both the local Cockeysville marble and the imported Italian Carrera marble;  repointing of all joints at the base Egyptian Revival structure; and mold taking and casting of existing sculptural elements for possible future replacement, including four griffins and Lady Baltimore herself.

Carybé –  Festival of the Americas & Discovery and Settlement of the West

These murals, by acclaimed Brazilian artist Carybé, were originally created in 1960 as the first and second prize-winning designs for the new American Airlines Terminal at JFK Airport.  Carybé composed each work with vividly colored fields adorned with glass tiles, Mexican coins, with glistening swaths of gold and silver leaf, resulting in an exuberant panorama of American culture.

As the terminal was being prepared for demolition during winter of 2007/08, Steve Tatti was faced with the removal, transport and restoration of the works.  Once each of the 52 ft. x 15 ft. murals was cut out in sections – including the wall onto which the painting was attached – the restoration began where rips, separation & surface deformation were addressed following the removal of the old yellowed and detaching varnish that served to obscure the festive colors trapped beneath.  Once the paint colors had been restored and the missing tiles and coins replaced, the team brushed on a protective resin varnish, re-crated and, after two long years of meticulous work, were rewarded with the reinstallation of these American treasures in their new home in Miami-Dade Airport.

Rockefeller Center – Medallion Series

In 1993, Steve Tatti was entrusted with the restoration of Rockefeller Center’s Hildreth Meiere’s 1932 Medallion Series, which depicts Song, Dance, and Drama.  Each piece is 18 feet in diameter, and consists of multiple metal-and-enamel sections attached to steel support armatures, which are in turn anchored to the building façade by brass sleeves set in lead.  Tatti and his crew had to remove the medallions from the building without damaging the façade or the pieces themselves, which were unique for their use of natural metal finishes to achieve their desired coloring effects.  Each individual piece was stripped, cleaned, refinished and reassembled in new corrosion-resistant steel armatures and frames.

Before the final reinstallation, the team re-pointed and washed the Music Hall’s limestone façade.  After four months of hard work, the medallions were returned to their historic home 60 feet above 50th Street. (Click here for entire article and additional photos.)

Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine –  Collections

In 2004, Steve Tatti began the five-year effort to restore hundreds of art objects that had been damaged following the devastating fire at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, in uptown Manhattan.  The St. John project proves the true versatility of Steve Tatti and his diverse staff.  Restored items include: Architectural Fabric such as tile mosaics, marble reredos and altars, and medieval stone masonry; Furnishings such as historic light fixtures, lecterns, pulpit & Baptismal font, ornate bronze and iron grillwork, medieval choir stalls, and an Italian Renaissance throne; Sculptural Objects such as wooden crucifixes, marble and wooden figures, processional crosses and candelabra; and a variety of Paintings including early Christian icons, tryptics, large scale Renaissance oils, polychrome stone reliefs and ornate gilt frames. (Click here for article and additional photos.)

Baltimore, MD – Francis Scott Key Monument

The Key Monument, by French sculptor Marius Jean Antonin Mercie, is laden with historic significance, as a prominent Baltimore family commissioned the sculpture in 1907 to commemorate Key’s dedication to his country during the British invasion of Washington DC, in 1814.

In 1996, members of the Bolton Hill neighborhood started a campaign to restore the city-owned Key Monument, which had suffered from the wear and tear of littering, graffiti, corrosion, algae, and deterioration and theft of parts. Starting in the summer of 1998, Steve Tatti recast missing and considerably damaged parts, cleaned the marble and the bronze figures, re-applied gold leaf to the appropriate areas, and stabilized every element.  Steve Tatti won awards from Baltimore Heritage and Save Outdoor Sculpture 2000 for his exemplary work.