Hot Air
Sculptor Donna Conklin King draws on the philosophy of Kintsugi, the centuries-old Japanese art that highlights an object’s imperfections by emphasizing its cracks with gold leaf. She works primarily with concrete, experimenting by casting forms from unconventional materials such as tin ceiling tiles, food containers, and fabric. Her sculptures often incorporate delicate elements like doilies and 24-karat gold leaf, exploring the relationship between nature, architecture, and the inevitable decay of civilization. In her recent focus on public sculptures, Conklin King’s pieces are “openly cracked and repaired,” evolving and enduring over time. They reflect themes of resilience, history, and archaeology.
You work a lot with concrete as a medium. What draws you to that material?
As an undergrad, I was introduced to plaster and loved it so much, but it is not considered a permanent material. It is mostly used for maquettes and cannot survive long periods outdoors. I had cast and troweled some concrete sculptures in the 80s and early 90s, but it wasn’t until about 11 years ago that I decided to work with it again. I also learned the art of Mosaics for a community project, which led me back toward concrete for use as a substrate. When I realized how versatile the material is, I was completely hooked. I can put pigment in a mix or stain it after it is cast, and there are plenty of color choices. I can trowel it onto a steel form or cast it from a mold, and there are many mixes you can use, depending on what you are trying to achieve. It is a historic, strong, and resilient material used by the Romans and is the most common construction material around the world. Finally, I made a conscious decision to seek out more opportunities in the Public Art realm, , and concrete is ideal for public art projects.
Tell us about your Underwater Museum of Art commission at the Gulf Coast of Florida – what is the genesis and the idea behind it?
The Underwater Museum of Art in Walton County, Florida, is the first permanent underwater art museum in the country. In 2018, they began putting out a call for proposals from artists to make sculptures that will help build an artificial reef one mile off the coast of Grayton Beach State Park, an area known as the Emerald Coast in Northern Florida. The sculptures must be made from Stainless Steel or Concrete. This was their 6th year, and they selected 7 artists. When I saw this call, I thought it was the perfect opportunity for me. I work in concrete, and this was a chance to make an environmental impact with my work. Also, the challenge is to create a sculpture that supports the fish and sea life as well as be an interesting sculpture for the Scuba Divers to enjoy. They are the only human audience because the sculptures are 58 feet down to the ocean floor!
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My studio practice often references Kintsugi and I am drawn to themes of resiliency, how something can have the duality of both good and bad qualities. In searching for a form to suit the project, I remembered reading years ago about the Barnacle and its amazing properties for adhesion. There have been advances in using this material and they are now using Barnacle glue for wet bandages. In trauma situations, being able to hold a bloody wound together is life-saving. These barnacles are a big annoyance for boat and ship owners, but they have positive uses, too. Also, my design, “Bubbly Barnacles,” has enough nooks and crannies for the fish to hide safely and for the Scuba Divers to shine lights into and explore.
I think the most exciting part of this project was the opportunity to watch the sculptures get submerged. It is a huge effort by several organizations. Walter Marine Reef maker provides the cast concrete bases, as well as the barge and the crane that strategically move the sculptures out to sea and submerge them to precise locations.
What is the process of making it?
I started by consulting with a structural engineer because I wanted my interior structure to be resistant to weight, anchors, and weather fluctuations, and I wanted to have all of my measurements finalized. Once I had a good technical drawing of my idea, I sourced stainless steel rebar and had it fabricated into circles.
I then welded the steel together to create the main form, composed of three larger circles and then welded the four smaller components. The overall height of the sculpture is 8.5 feet and about 9 feet wide, with all the components in place. The next step was wrapping the skeleton in ¼” steel mesh and, finally, the layers of concrete.
The hardest part was applying the concrete on the undersides, where gravity works against you. I had to purchase a one-ton capacity Gantry to be able to pick up the pieces while working on them, and also to place it laying down on a custom Pallet to finish the concrete work. I had to figure out how to get it out the doors of my studio because the sculpture weighed over 2 tons by the time I was done, and there is a very tight turn to navigate.
Many people were consulted throughout the process. Unique Restoration, a construction company that I sometimes work with, assisted me in laying the sculpture down, moving the parts out the door, and using a fork truck to get them onto the flatbed truck for shipping to Florida. It was really a team effort, and I am blessed to have gotten the help I needed! I learned a tremendous amount from this project, and I am ready to do it again.
To see the actual launch of my sculpture, you can go to this link. Mine starts at around 16:40
How do you envision it in a year from now?
I would love to see it covered in invertebrates and algae and full of fish. I also hope it is a favorite for Scuba Divers to explore. Luckily, UMAFL and SWARA take photos and videos and post them so I can continue to watch from a distance.
About the artist:
Donna Conklin King is a contemporary American artist known for her concrete sculptures. Her public sculptures can be found in the Underwater Museum of Art, Florida, Summit Public Art Program, Wildflower Sculpture Park, and the Turtleback Zoo in Essex County, NJ. Donna and her Installation “Cave Painting” were recently featured on an episode of “Art Nation” on the Smithsonian Channel. She is the recipient of a Fellowship in Sculpture from the NJ State Council on the Arts, a Creative Capital Professional Development Fellowship, a Vermont Studio Residency, and has exhibited nationally. Her work can be found in the Museum of Modern Art’s Artist’s Book collection, the Newark Public Library, and Skidmore College. Donna has a B.S. in Studio Art from Skidmore College and an M.F.A. in Sculpture from Rutgers University. @donna_conklin_studios