Sculpture Sculpture has been part of Cranbrook from its inception; from marble statues and bronze antiquities to the large abstractions of contemporary times. On the grounds is the collection of sculptures by Carl Milles.
Carl Milles
Carl Milles was born in 1875 in Sweden. Initially apprenticed as a cabinetmaker, he became a sculptor, lived in Paris and worked in Rodin’s studio. He travelled and studied in Europe; returning to Stockholm, where he was professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts 1920-31. Milles became renowned for his fountains; notably, “The Orpheus Fountain” 1936, outside the Stockholm concert hall. In 1931, the sculptor was invited to Cranbrook, where he taught and his wife Olga lived for twenty years. The sculptures of Carl Milles were acquired by George Booth in the 30s. The collection is the next largest after Millesgarden in Sweden. I have visited that sculpture park and museum on a number of occasions; to see familiar works by Milles, in a different context and country, is fascinating. At Cranbrook, the most famed works are “The Orpheus Fountain” and “Europa and the Bull”, installed in 1938 and 1935, on either side of the Museum; the works are distinctive and integral to that building. The fountain does not include the huge figure of the god Orpheus; Mr. Booth thought too large and ostentatious?! Other sculptures are scattered throughout the community and are referred to as Milles’s “Myths and Legends”.
Another respected sculptor, Marshall Fredericks, a student and former assistant of Milles, has works within the community; most noticeable is the life size bronze “Persephone” 1972 at the Greek Theatre. In my first few weeks in America, that summer of 1967, I saw the work of Carl Milles. In the large restaurant of Metropolitan Museum of Art was “Aganippe: The Fountain of Muses” by Milles 1951-55. The work seems too large and inappropriate for that space; never a favorite of mine nor the curators of the Met? Later, in 1982, the sculpture was move to Brookgreen Gardens, South Carolina, with spacious grounds and works by Milles; Marshall Fredericks; and other figurative sculptors. (These remote gardens are along the waters of the Intracoastal Waterway; Agnes and I visited during our cruising life.) Many other sculptures and commissioned fountains by Carl Milles and, also, his protégé Marshall Fredericks are evident throughout the country; among the most famed is Milles’ fountain group “The Wedding of the Waters” in St Louis Missouri. Unveiled in 1940, the fountain caused a local uproar with its playful naked figures; officials insisted the name be changed to “The Meeting of the Waters”! Incase prudish sensibilities were offended, Milles was said to have a ‘fig leaf’ maker available; fortunately, never used at Cranbrook.
Restoration
Over the years, the patina of bronze sculptures deteriorated; the figures of the Orpheus fountain were subject to changing climate and were in terrible shape, with rusted and flaking metal. The curators and I thought that efforts should be made to restore these bronzes; a lengthy and costly undertaking. Milles’s “Horse’s Head” 1927, on a plinth outside the library, was the first work to be removed and restored. Discussion occurred over whether the patina stained and rusted gave a sense of age to the sculpture? However, the restoration proved otherwise; the restored bronze, height 3’, now with green patina, truly revealed form and detail as sculpted originally by the hand of Milles. The ‘before and after’ photographs made a compelling case for restoration; I made a slide presentation to the Governors. They concurred and voted unanimously to use funds restricted for restoration. Removal of Orpheus was a complex process; the flaking figures by were lifted by cranes on to large flat bed trucks. These figures were taken to conservation labs in St Louis and the restoration began. The restored bronzes, dark green with shiny surfaces, returned and were placed back on their plinths; in a circle, as if new, shimmering in the sun and spray of the fountain. I had wondered why Milles and, later, Fredericks were fascinated with fountains to be placed in the cold and cruel winters of Finland and Michigan; water froze and fountains stilled. Water was an integral to their sculptural compositions; figure and fountain designed with that in mind. Without water, missing half the year, the sculptures appear static and barren; no interplay of sparkling water that enlivens glistening bronze. I thought of how still the restored sculptures looked that winter when the waters ceased to flow; to our surprise, there was to be movement!
Early one morning, as the frost and freezing cold of winter blanketed the ground, I received a phone call; most unusual for anyone, leave alone staff, to call me so early, before dawn! Bruce Hartman, curator, apologized and explained that he had gone to the museum early and could not believe what he saw! In the cold morning light, Bruce had walked passed the sculpture “Orpheus”; he thought he saw movement. Standing still, shivering, he looked again; a sculpted figure moved, slightly upward. Bruce waited, not knowing whether to be scared or concerned; when another sculpture moved, he was both. Hartman had a rare sense of humor with an infectious laugh; I asked him if this was some sort of sick joke. He said not at all; he knew better than to joke about this. Desperately, he asked me would I come over as, in his words, “Figures of the Orpheus sculpture are levitating!?”
Putting on warm overcoat and scarf, I walked, through bitter cold, the short distance to the museum; slipping and sliding up frost covered steps to Orpheus. Bruce stood shivering, pointing to the sculpture, covered in snow and frost. The figures, shoulders of snow, were sculpted as if gesturing upward; as I looked, the sculptures were beginning to move upward. Bruce was right; the sculptural figures were levitating slowly, almost imperceptibly, heaven ward. What made this levitation even stranger is the story of Orpheus; although the figure was not in this grouping, the story remains. The god was descending into Hades and encounters eight figures rising from hell; with this accession may be fantasy was becoming reality. With the figure of Beethoven conducting the muses; music is an inspiration for the sculptor. Milles listened to classical music; as the sculptures slowly ascended, thankfully, Bruce and I had heard no musical score but just creaking and crinkling ice. Figures continued to ascend, ever slowly but inevitably upward. We called security but then realized the maintenance crew may be of greater use? After discussing this improbable movement, the decision was made to remove the figures; a delicate process but achieved successfully. Bronzes, wrapped in blankets, were carefully laid on the ground. The fountain and plinths were carefully examined; the cause for the uprising became obvious. While bronzes were away being restored, the fountain had been repaired, including those plinths. The sculpted figures had a long base that narrowed to a point; these shafts slipped into the decorative bases, an integral part of the sculpture and critical to these free standing forms. In the repair process, drainage holes at the base of these supports were inadvertently closed. Although water could flow around and drip to the bottom with little adverse affect; when the frost came, water trapped inside the plinth froze, forcing sculptures slowly upward. Eventually, bronzes forced free would fall; a catastrophe. Bruce was congratulated; bases were redone with adequate drain holes. The power of nature, force of frost, caused levitation of those sculptures. Yet, for a moment, the figures of Orpheus did appear to be escaping, as in the myth, ascending upward.
Contemporary Sculpture
When I arrived in 1977, at the edge of, and dominating, Kingswood Lake was a huge abstract sculpture of steel, painted bright orange red. The work was by renowned sculptor, Mark DiSuvero; "Le Petit Clef" was known as ‘The Kingswood Swing’. During my tenure, a program of contemporary sculpture in the grounds was aggressively pursued in the late 70s and 80s; initiated and implemented by Michael Hall, Head of Sculpture. His own large sculptures, abstract and impressive, adorned the grounds. Michael invited other sculptors to place work at Cranbrook; often site specific and temporary. Most dominant was a huge installation, in steel and wood, by Dennis Oppenheim, situated adjacent to the Library and Museum. A group of wooden sculptures by Alice Aycock were placed in the woods above Lake Jonah; a wooden sculpture, 163’ long, “Cranbrook Dance” 1978, by Robert Stackhouse, was on a hill above Kingswood Lake. Again, to see these installations at varying times of year added to our experience and enrichment. Recently, I was talking to Stackhouse and he recalled his delight in seeing his work in the snows of Michigan; at other times the sun made shadows that varied with the time of day and year. Siah Armajani and Richard Nonas were other artists who created works for Cranbrook. Tony Rosenthal made a permanent work, a site specific sculpture in rusted steel, “Cranbrook Ingathering”, installed near the museum in 1980; a work large enough to walk through, loiter and sit. Much more has, and could be, written about these sculptures; suffice to say that the works were part of walking the grounds.
Dennis Oppenheim
Alice Aycock
Tony Rosenthal "Cranbrook Ingathering" 1980
Roberta Stewart, RS, Tony and Linda Dunne.