How a Sculpture Came TO Be By Jack Campbell Fall 98
I was teaching sculpture design at Collin County Community College in 1993. Every Tuesday Thursday I would teach two classes at the college. My first class was at one o clock in the afternoon my next class at six o clock in the evening. In-between those classes I would take a break. One of those afternoon breaks brought me to Old Downtown Plano which is located on 15th Street in the Northern suburb of Dallas, Texas. The following story begins with that afternoon visit. How a Sculpture Came To Be One day Jack was killing time in-between classes. He came upon a beautiful space - a small waterfall a beautiful red brick courtyard. So, Jack thought thought. He paced off measurements was inspired. The next day Jack went to Oklahoma. He traveled three hundred miles chose the stone for his thought - a large granite monolith.
Jack had to negotiate with the quarry to create the work on the site. The nine ton stones were too large to move. Jack had no where to carve the stones but where he found them. He only had money to purchase the large stone elements. That was OK because his main concern was to finish his inspiration - to finish his thought. Everything else would work themselves out For the next year Jack would leave every Friday for Oklahoma. Six hours driving six hours working - rain, sleet or snow - the inspiration still burning in him. When Jack was working on the sculpture, he would be asked what the stones were where were they going He would tell them, the sculpture was three stones fit for a beautiful space in Texas.
They asked Jack what were the designs he put on the stones. He told them they were from his heart were to be little touches of man. Jack told them the stones, the stones, were most important not him not man. Jack would tell them to look at all the drill holes in the stones to listen to how they spoke to each other. They asked him why did he polish certain surfaces not others Jack told them, in order to show people the complete process of working the stone. As he learned in Florence.
They would ask Jack, Why treat the stone so unfinished in some areas He would tell them, it was because of Michelangelo s Unfinished Prisoners of Frienze. Look closely. He told them. See how the polish areas come out of the saw-cut surface See the black carborundum left on the side of the stone That is the abrasive material used for working up the surfaces to the final polish. Look at the red ruge left all over the stone from the final polish. All telltales left behind to be seen.
Hide nothing. The complete story told of how the sculpture was made. Just as Michelangelo told Jack fifteen years previous in The Academy of Florence. People will learn as Jack did. Every little mistake shown because every little mistake a lesson to be learned. Look at the chiseled chips breaking the edge of the great line under the star.
This is where Jack became impatient with his sblasting picked up his point chisel to work faster. Jack always had to learn to be patient to work the stone at its own pace. A lot of bruises also left on the stone. These could have been sblasted away but they showed where the fork lift pushed lifted. All those telltales - left to tell the story of the great stones.
So with the Sculpture finished, now came the hard work. Jack would have to tell people about his inspiration. With God s help he would be able to do that. Jack first told his dentist of his thought, which lead him to a meeting with the mayor, which lead him to a city councilperson. Now, to present his thought.
Jack asked the city of Plano if they would be willing to go get the stone in Oklahoma. In return, Jack said he would let the city have the work for a year. Jack was told that the city had no budget to do that. That was it. Jack had no money. He looked into how much it would cost to move the great stones from Oklahoma to Plano. An eighteen wheeler costing hundreds of dollars would be needed. The quarry was calling Jack to come remove the work. What was he to do
Would his truck do it Jack bought his 77 Chevrolet six cylinder, pick-em-up truck br new. Jack s truck had more than 250,000 miles on it. The truck had taken him to Toronto New York City plenty of times hauling much more weight than it was supposed to. Jack s friend Wayne had a double axle trailer. Jack thought it would work It would be three separate trips of three-hundred miles each time
Yes, It ll work. And it did. The sculpture, the great stones in Jack s back yard. One a half years since its inception Jack s thought. Never giving up. Against all odds.
Football training under the Legendary Bo Schembechler had always played a big part in trying to work in this Profession working on his Sculpture the past Seventeen Years. Always such hard work no monetary return. A drive hard to explain. Now, with the sculpture at his home, it would be easier on everyone to negotiate.
It was. The city of Plano would come get the sculpture but Jack had to load it on their trailer. Jack had no money but did have a credit card. He asked A-1 Rental for help in a way of a donation. They charged him half price Jack was able to move the great stones with a six-thous pound forklift. So much hard work.
One man s thought with so many wonderful people helping him to make his thought a reality. It took three years for it to be a reality. Never giving up always saying With God s Help It Will Happen. it did.
There the Sculpture sits today, six years later. - Dish, Block Feather - The Red Granite Monolith in The Beautiful Red Brick Courtyard with a small Waterfall. j.t.campbell fall 98