Artist faces deadline to revive works' luster

A sculptor has until Jan. 15 to have a plan for removing rust from two works he made for the county.

TAMPA - From a distance, the massive sculpture cuts an imposing image: a gleaming silver circle around a mass of square and round metal objects, and the figure of a lawman's star etched in negative space.

But up close, there's something else to be seen. Most of the interior metal, created by melting down weapons from a gun buy-back program, is rusting.

County officials who paid for the public art say that's a problem.

Bradley Arthur, the Land O'Lakes artist who created the two sculptures, says that's the point.

"All outdoor art is corroding," Arthur said. "Everything in life is corroding."

Now Arthur's reputation is beginning to show some wear and tear as he fights for his artistic vision, a battle that consumes much of his time and energy.

Hillsborough County commissioned Arthur to create the two massive public art structures in front of sheriff's district offices in Citrus Park and Ybor City. What makes the sculptures unique are the materials used.

Bradley melted down hundreds of guns to create the metal building blocks, then enveloped them in a frame of stainless steel.

"The power of the artwork is in its truth to the materials," Bradley said. "The metaphor within these sculptures is highlighted by the contrast of the materials."

In the artist's statement for the piece titled Components of Public Safety I, Arthur wrote: "The steel from the weapons will rust and the stainless steel frame will not. The rusting of the former weapons represent their past and potential danger, as well as destructive effects criminal behavior has on society. The bright stainless steel represents the strength of our laws and how they protect us."

It's all about good and evil, right and wrong, Arthur contends.

Even though county arts officials have already paid $120,000 for the pieces, they aren't buying Arthur's vision.

"Nobody in the county expected it to rust," said Jan Stein, Public Art Program coordinator. "That was never communicated to us at all. It looked one way in the foundry and immediately it changed and started to look another way."

Arthur had a contract with the county, and rust wasn't part of the purchase order, Stein said.

In September, when the controversy first flared, the county's Public Art Committee hired an outside expert to take a look at the pieces and make recommendations.

A month later, John Maseman, director and chief conservator of the South Florida Conservation Center, said it wasn't surprising that the artworks rusted.

"It is not unusual for carbon steel, like the gun metal components, to corrode when exposed outdoors without surface protection," Maseman wrote.

But making the problem worse, Maseman said, was the fact that Arthur used a "clear coat" sealant that not only failed to protect the gun metal but exacerbated the rust. Water worked its way under the clear coat layer and sunlight created what Maseman called a "hot house effect."

To fix the rust problem, Maseman suggested stripping the clear coat, knocking off the rust, and applying a wax. Even then, "the metal will still corrode but the rate should be less and more even," Maseman wrote.

Stein said the arts committee wants the sculptures to be shiny again, and the matter was turned over to the County Attorney's Office. Arthur said he's been given until Jan. 15 to come up with a plan for remedying the rust problem.

"My position is, these are ultimatums about doing something that is, in fact, impossible to achieve," Arthur said. "They were materials that they required me to use and they won't even listen to my vision. One of Maseman's findings was, you could just leave it. At this time, that's what I feel is the appropriate thing to do.

"Making a big deal about the rust is missing the point," Arthur said. "These are objects unlike anything the county has, or any county in the U.S. or the world. These are the only ones in the world like this."

- Logan D. Mabe can be reached at 269-5304 or at mabe@sptimes.com

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact the Times | Privacy Policy Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright