| Author | Content |
tango88
Tomball, TX
August 14, 2006
1:15 AM Post #2620168
| Bet you don't get a lot of that here. Hello, I am a regular on Dave's Concrete & Hypertufa Forum, but thought I'd venture over here just in case there are any other concrete sculptors lurking about.. While I execute a variety of techniques, my mainstay is an old & almost lost artform known as Faux Bois. French for "false wood".
Here are a couple of pix and you can find more than you ever wanted to know about cement, concrete & hypertufa on my new website...www.thegardenartforum.com
The first is a close up of part of a table set I recently completed for a local client. They liked it so much, they commissioned a large (9 foot) bench for the front of their house. It is still in the working stages, but nearing completion. I am also posting tutorials on working in the above media on my website for anyone so inclined.
My Best to All --- Tango
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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tango88
Tomball, TX
August 14, 2006
1:16 AM Post #2620169
| ...and here's the whole set... 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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tango88
Tomball, TX
August 14, 2006
1:19 AM Post #2620173
| ...and a view of the bench in progress...
Lots of other stuff, but this should at least determine if there is any interest in faking wood out of concrete.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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grampapa
Wheatfield, NY
(Zone 6a)
August 14, 2006
7:24 AM Post #2620445
| Tango, that's amazing! Never mind being interested in seeing it here at Dave's. If I lived closer to you, I'd be interested in seeing it on my patio! Great work!
gram |
nap
Depew, NY
(Zone 6a)
August 14, 2006
7:53 AM Post #2620495
| Yes, that is incredible, and I absolutely love it! It looks BETTER than wood!
What a remarkable idea. You're very good at this. Tell us how long you've done it, and where the idea originated, please. |
darius
Marion, VA
(Zone 5b)
August 14, 2006
9:34 AM Post #2620734
| Love it! (and bet the termited do not!) |
crowellli
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)
August 14, 2006
10:14 AM Post #2620874
| I saw a television documentary on this sometime in the past year or so. It detailed a man who spent his life doing this kind of sculpting and one of his sons went into the business with him and continued the work when his father died. Some of the work done was really amazing. For the life of me I can't remember the man's name, only that he was Hispanic. I believe he was here in Texas. I love your work. It's amazing how natural looking it is. Thanks for posting the pics. |
GD_Rankin
San Antonio, TX
(Zone 9a)
August 14, 2006
10:43 AM Post #2620966
| Great work Tango . . . I've seen some of this in person and really enjoy and admire it a lot. Nearly a lost art indeed.
Thanks for share'n. |
aprilwillis
Missouri City, TX
(Zone 9a)
August 14, 2006
1:50 PM Post #2621616
| Wow- I am so amazed at what can be done w/ concrete & even more amazed w/ your talent! Thanks for sharing. |
Mahnot
DFW area, TX
(Zone 7b)
August 15, 2006
10:18 PM Post #2626706
| Stupefying ! That bench with the curved back is to die for !
This type of outdoor furniture is becoming all the rage, so
your timing is excellent. Wish I could remember the name
of the magazine that just did an article on it. Think I still have
it here somewhere and if I find it, I will let you know.
Thanks for sharing your work with us. |
tango88
Tomball, TX
August 16, 2006
12:35 AM Post #2627585
| Wow...thank you all so much for the kind words. And I can't help but notice all the other Texans here. For whatever reason, Texas was blessed a great deal of this type work 50 to 100 years ago and a lot of it is still around. As you noted, termites tend to steer clear of it and it won't ever rot.
I've been a working artist all my life and got hooked trying to figure out the mysteries of how some of the old-time Faux Bois artists did what they did. Forget it. There is not a single book on the subject. I even did a search of the Library of Congress. Nada. Which just made it all the more intriguing. And the best PhD brains in the cement industry assured me that what I showed them pictures of and described...couldn't be done. That was a little over fifteen years ago. I did so much research that I wound up writing a book that finally covers the history, the artisans and many of their long lost techniques. And like many would be writers, my rough draft is still sitting on the publishers desk. Actually, Martha Stewarts publishers desk. But that's another story. I have just launched a brand new garden craft website called thegardenartforum.com that has a great deal of my research material and techniques on it. I feel like I may have acheived 95% of what some of the best artists ever did, but the remaining 5% keeps me learning & experimenting.
And the best that ever lived was a little fellow by the name of Dionicio Rodrigues. It is his work that graces much of San Antonio and many other cities. His great-nephew is the one still doing this type of work there. His name is Carlos Cortes. A great guy and very talented artist who is without a doubt the best in the world in the Mexican/Spanish style known as "El Trabajo Rustico". The Rustic Work. My work differs from his in that I am fanatical about detail. Often minute detail. Every real artist will always gravitate towards their own style and we each have ours. His link is on my site and there are also a ton of links dedicated to folk artists, eccentrics, outsider art and plain old yard art from all around the world. All in cement-based materials.
Hope this answers a few questions. Its really pretty easy to make some impressive & antique looking pieces if anyone is interested in giving it a try. And considering that there are probably less than a half-dozen artists alive even working in the media & style...it wouldn't be hard to capture a chunk of the market...there's almost no competition...all of the other artists have been dead for a long, long time.
All My Best --- Tango
Oh, and here's a little closeup of part of the bench above I am sculpting the final finish layers now.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Mahnot
DFW area, TX
(Zone 7b)
August 16, 2006
2:04 AM Post #2627708
| Tango, it looks just like petrified wood, and the detail
is amazing. If it were possible, I would be speechless LOL
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crowellli
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)
August 16, 2006
9:22 AM Post #2628121
| Tang, I'm so glad you mentioned Dionicio Rodrigues. That's the name of the Hispanic concrete artist I was trying to remember from the documentary. I'd have worried over that name until I could find it, so it's good you posted that. |
Eufaula
Eatonton, GA
(Zone 8b)
August 16, 2006
11:39 AM Post #2628579
| Now Im telling you that is something else!! I wouldnt have to worry about my outdoor furniture rotting away in all this humidity because i didnt give it a good preservative coating every 6 months!LOL
Im with the rest, If you were closer I would just have to pay you a serious visit! This is just too cool! |
tango88
Tomball, TX
August 17, 2006
8:29 PM Post #2633187
| Gee folks, thank you all once again. But I guess I owe an apology to Dave. Just got a note regarding "promoting" the new website, so I guess I will have to refrain mentioning it from here on out. Didn't mean to step on any toes, it's just that Faux Bois is a tough subject to find any info on. I know. It took me nearly 15 years to get this far along with it. There's not even a single text in the entire Library of Congress on it.
And Dionicio Rodrigues was indeed both a master craftsman and a bit of a mystik. Wish I had seen the program you mentioned...do you recall any particulars?...network?...program? I know that a young lady by the name of Patsy Light has been working with Carlos Cortes (Dionicios great-nephew) on a biography for the last couple of years, but I still havn't seen it in book form yet. Will have to Google her & see where it stands. Should be interesting, as he was a very prolific but little known artist who accomplished some pretty amazing works.
Anyway, sorry if I offended anyone, that was hardly my intent.
All My Best --- Tango |
blckwolf256
Springville, AL
(Zone 7a)
October 28, 2006
2:29 AM Post #2858004
| TANGO
Your work amazes me!!! |
crowellli
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)
October 28, 2006
11:08 AM Post #2858702
| Tango, the program I mentioned was on either National Geographic or Discovery channel. As I said, I couldn't remember the artist's name, only that he was hispanic and in Texas, I think San Antonio. It was a wonderful documentary on his work. I'll see if I can dig up a bit more info.
Crow |
katsu
Columbus, OH
(Zone 6a)
October 28, 2006
11:14 AM Post #2858711
| Wow. That is just amazing. My woodworking husband was also very impressed!
It's beautiful, and I think it's great that you are gathering that knowledge together and working on a book that others can learn from. That is extremely cool.
Lisa |
zenpotter
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4b)
October 29, 2006
3:03 PM Post #2862616
| WOW! |
cach357
Fairhope, AL
(Zone 8b)
October 30, 2006
5:20 PM Post #2866258
| I am always in awe of everyone's work here and this is no exception. Absolutely incredible! |
tango88
Tomball, TX
November 11, 2006
12:24 AM Post #2903345
| Thanks to everyone for all the kind words. Been so busy, I lost track of this thread. Sorry about that, but here is an update on the finished piece.
The bench is 9 1/2 feet long and weighs in at about 750 to 800 pounds. The "half-log" seat is actually hollow or it would have been about twice that. Still took a crew of six heavy lifters to set it in the spot it was designed for in front of the clients' house as seen below.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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tango88
Tomball, TX
November 11, 2006
12:26 AM Post #2903348
| Here is a shot of the big end of the "log"... 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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tango88
Tomball, TX
November 11, 2006
12:28 AM Post #2903350
| And the bottom & back are fully detailed. Maybe the bugs will appreciate it. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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tango88
Tomball, TX
November 11, 2006
12:30 AM Post #2903352
| The seat back features what looks like mortise & tenon joints with the legs... 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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tango88
Tomball, TX
November 11, 2006
12:34 AM Post #2903356
| ...and all the pieces are secured with sculpted cement "iron spikes", complete with rust. Good news is, just as the fake wood will never rot...the fake spikes will never rust away. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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aprilwillis
Missouri City, TX
(Zone 9a)
November 11, 2006
5:20 AM Post #2903562
| I saw your work on a different forum and cannot stop being impressed by your work. It's amazing! You're amazing. |
nap
Depew, NY
(Zone 6a)
November 11, 2006
9:10 PM Post #2905913
| There is no adequate way to say this...your work is simply unbelievable! I am in absolute awe. I have not been so extremely impressed in a very long time. I kneel at your feet.
Congratulations. |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
November 12, 2006
7:03 AM Post #2906535
| I can't even tell it's concrete. And I was looking really hard too. Great job!! |
tango88
Tomball, TX
November 17, 2006
6:29 PM Post #2923192
| Thank you folks. Sorry to take so long to reply, but my computers' been in the shop for the last week.
The basic techniques for ferrocement Faux Bois are really quite simple and most hobbyists could replicate just about any of the antique French work that sells for such high prices. The sand-free mix I use is quite a bit trickier to manage, but could also be learned by anyone with enough patience.
Thank you all again for the kind words. |
