In 2007,
Vincent & Michelle returned to India to visit Creative Sculptors in Mahabalipuram for more observations & interviews.
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This is the same beach that was hit by
the 2004 tsunami. Catholic Relief Services have provided these
colorful boats for the local fishermen to return to their trade. |
Mr. Rajandaran teaches
at the local art college & he also helps manage the foundry.
Here, he is showing us a recently cast bronze piece.
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Looking towards
where the stone carvers work. |
Visiting with Mr. Rajandaran &
Ganesh |
Ganesh working on Ganesh! |
They were working on this large sculpture (the white piece in the
foreground). The sculpture is of 8 of the world's greatest thinkers
including Socrates, Einstien, Confucius, Montessori, Thiruvalluvar,
etc. The final piece will go at a university in Singapore.
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Ganesh was working on an individual sculpture of Thiruvalluvar. This
is the beginning process of the sculpture where he builds up an
armature to build the clay upon. Eventually he will add the details.
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Preparing
the mold with several layers of river-bottom mud, then wrapping it
with wire for reinforcement. After wrapping it with wire, they add
more mud. |
Then they dig a
hole to place the finished mold in. Beneath all the layers of the mold
lies a sculpted wax figure that will eventually become bronze. |
Then they stick the molds in the hole & then pack it with cow patties,
which they then ignite to warm the molds up before pouring the bronze.
By this point, the wax has already been melted out of the mold, thus
leaving a hollow impression of the original design.
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The
workers collect cow patties from around town & use them to heat the
molds. Good recycling! And that eliminates the need for propane & an
electric blower for the pre-heating process. |
Here you can see
the patties burning. Meanwhile, behind the mold heating pit, the ground
furnace is melting bronze in the crucible. |
The ground furnace works by forced air & burning coke. Coke is basically
charcoal - like what a blacksmith uses in the forge. The crucible is in
the ground pit holding salvaged scrap brass & copper that the workers
purchase in Chennai. All the metals are melted in the crucible.
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Two men work the tongs & pick up the crucible with the molten metals
(bronze). Another person skims the waste off the surface of the liquid.
Then another person helps guide the crucible to the molds. The molds are
buried in the soil, with only the opening visible - through which the
bronze is poured. |
The Shore Temple (a World
Heritage site) on the shores of the Bay of Bengal at Mahabalipuram. It is one of the jewels left
behind by the master stone
workers of the Pallava Dynasty. It survived a direct hit by the
2004 tsunami with minimal damage. |
This stone
carving was a "practice run" for the Pallavas. They started on
this before pursuing the famous Arjuna's Penance bas relief.
The lighthouse in the background was built many, many centuries
later by the British. |
Ganesh took us to look at some of the
Pallava stone carved structures on the hill. Krishna Mandapam
depicts Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan to protect the people from
torrential rains, while at the same time performing his tasks as a
cowherd. The villagers he is protecting are seen conducting everyday
activities.
|
|
Ganesh with his
manhout |
Fruit
bats roosting. They were about 18 inches long. They hung upside down & wrapped their wings
around their bodies just like Dracula. They really looked like small
dogs with leathery wings.
|
In
November 2004, Vincent traveled to Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu in India
to meet with Murugappan Sreekandan. He is a fine sculptor
and an excellent foundryman. His town was struck by the tsunami in
December 2004, but thankfully he was not injured.
|
This is the Shore Temple
just weeks before the 2004 tsunami.
|
Sreekandan with a stone carving of
a dancing Ganesha created by his friend, Mr. Baskaran. |
Ganesh working on a sculpture
of Parvati (note the diagram in the background). |
The Five Rathas complex in
Mahabalipuram. This series of Temples was erected in the 8th
century by the Pallava Dynasty. |
A friend of Sreekandan posing by
the ground furnace. This is where the metal is melted. |
A stone sculptor at work. This
stone operation is right next to the foundry. The hammers and
chisels can be heard sun up to sun down due to the numerous stone
shops all over town.
|
The scrap metal in these crucibles will become art! Metal is
collected from scrap yards and melted down using coke and forced air
as fuel. |
Arumugam tends the furnace. Traditionally,
casting is done on days considered to be auspicious.
|
Arumugam and Sreekandan checking the metal. |
Skimming the metal prior to pouring. |
Mr. Rajandaran and Arumugam watch as the mold
fills.
|
Vincent with Ganesha stone sculpture. |
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A citizen of Mahabaliparum and his companion. |
