BRUCE NAIGLES I SCULPTOR
About the project:
Moss Grundere Monument
Preliminary proposal:
This sculptural installation project is in its early stages of development, so please keep in mind that these sketches are rough ideas. The visual representation is based on a crossover of traditional sculpture (lifelike busts) with a more contemporary composition (as opposed to bronze heads being placed on square pillars of granite so-so many meters from one another).
The busts are 1.5 - 2 times natural size. They are formed as masks, meaning they are not complete heads as traditional portrait statues are. Instead they are open in the back, thus drawing more attention to the face and character of the individual. This in turn creates a more dynamic representation and opens the channel for a more imaginative approach. It can also be seen as a symbolic rendering of 'remnants of a time gone by'.
We are considering three possible locations for the installation:
Foremost, is the historical suggestion, the reasoning of which is self-evident. In light of their time and to deeper reflect their influence, it seems appropriate that the busts should stand in an area that still bears the mark of that environment: Møllebyen or Petersons/Verket area.
Secondly, a newly developed area where business folk, culture and everyday people are in movement, out to lunch, cafes, museum? Some of the soon-to-be renovated areas of Moss could be suitable, for example, Møllergata.
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Third, and my personal favorite, would be lining one of the few bridges planned to be built between Møllebyen and Petersons/Verket area. With the aesthetic background of the river, coupled with the idea of a 'passage', it would be symbolically appropriate, particularly when one considers the river's importance in the development of Moss's industry.
It is my hope that they will one day stand with dignity against a simple background in a once-again busy area and can be a reminder and inspiration to better the cause of developing the region's innovative talents. It is clearer to see where to go when we know where we've been.
Moss was once an innovative and pulsating industry town. The last of these 'industrial pillars' are giving way to our modernized, high-tech society. These earlier industrialists contributed strongly to the working mentality that this region and the country were built upon. For these reasons it seems appropriate to honor them with a worthy place in our city.
Reflecting on their achievements, the capacities that these individuals exhibited reveal them as innovators and highly creative in working with the advanced technology which was available to them. Hence they represent these qualities in their individual character and stand as role models for the time of transition we have arrived at today.
The concept of the project is a metaphoric bridge. Rather than a passage from an earlier industrial age to our modern times, it's meant to bring forth the virtues exhibited by these individuals in confronting and finding solutions to the marketing and technological challenges of their time.
I hope this idea finds favor in your eyes and you see it as a worthy contribution to the city of Moss and its residents, as well as a small mark, on a national level, to honour their place in the beginnings of modern industry in Norway.
The scope:
Time is a necessary element for gathering historical information; resources such as images (paintings, old photographs), biographical and character insights, etc. all of which will lead to developing the overall concept and design.
We are looking to the industrial community of the Moss region as well as the living descendants of these founders for their advice and support, both in gathering the necessary information and as potential sponsors.
The initial goal is to raise 10 figures. Each bust will be modelled in clay, cast in plaster and finally bronze. They must then be mounted on bases of some sort or integrated into a larger installation as seen in the sketches.
There are engineering and /or architectural costs to consider should the busts be incorporated into a new structure, a bridge for example. There are costs for installation plus any redesigning of an already existing area. A rough estimate is Nkr 150 - 200 000,- per piece. This gives a sense of what funds are necessary to raise for the project.
