In the spring of 2015, we received a distress phone call from a client regarding a large outdoor sculpture by Henry Moore. The figure was crushing its seat putting the entire sculpture at risk
Treating outdoor sculpture to survive the elements is a conservation topic we routinely address at Tatti Art Conservation. This Seated Figure by Henry Moore presented a unique structural problem not usually associated with cast bronzes. With this piece and other early works by Moore he constructed the base out of wood then clad them in copper sheeting. Over time the wood rooted and the figure began to collapse and crush the bench. In order to correct this, the piece needed to be completely de-installed and the cladding and wood removed.
The entire copper sheeting was carefully removed and the rotted wood taken away. A new aluminum sub structure was fabricated to exact measurements, the copper cladding straightened and repaired as needed. The repaired copper was attached to the base and the entire piece assembled with the figure. This was a unique and challenging repair job to maintain the original materials, finish while improving the structural integrity of the work.
