Imposing Fountain Dominates Atrium at FMC
By Della Brown Taylor for the Sunday Charleston Gazette, December 1967
An imposing fountain dominates the atrium at FMC’s Inorganic Chemicals Division office building in South Charleston. The sculptor of this welded brass work is James Gibson, who for the past two and a half years, has been on the faculty of Morris Harvey College, his undergraduate school.
Gibson also has distinguished himself as a skillful printmaker. Too, friends of the arts recall his cylindrical folk figures that bespeak a world of silent contemplation, and not without an occasional touch of whimsy. The recently completed fountain adds another dimension to his talents.
Chief draftsman at FMC, C.W. Mudd, said that the piece was commissioned by M.E. Birmingham, former pant manager. “We wanted something good out there. It is an unusual building, and the general idea was to make it an attractive and interesting place,” he continued.
Actually, the idea for the commission was conceived two years ago at the West Virginia Arts and Crafts Fair at Ripley. At the time, Richard W. Boggs of Huntington, whose firm – Henniger, Boggs, and Rehm, Associates – specializes in environmental design, saw some of the young sculptor’s work. In the months that followed, the artist produced a series of drawings, and a wax model which, after some modification, culminated in the existing structure.
“The keynote was to create something organic, something opposed to the industrial inorganic atmosphere of the valley,” Gibson said. The choice of metal was somewhat of an antithesis, because as it is exposed to the elements, he said that it becomes even more organic.
Obviously, the environment within the courtyard provided numerous points of departure for Gibson. Most of the wall area is composed of floor-to-ceiling glass that is set in warm tones of duranodic aluminum frames. The remaining wall area is constructed of unusually hard Delaware sandstone that was graded to be heavy with dark colors. The occasional pink, maroon and purple hues are also seen in the building’s exterior.
Ground patterns in the atrium are numerous triangular forms. Foundation plantings, rhododendron, a clump birch, ajuga ground cover, and pebbles, complete the arrangement. Sandstones encircle the oval base of the fountain.
Th traditional physical nature of sculpture has been abandoned in favor of freer, exploratory imagery that new materials and techniques command. The result: 12 biomorphic forms that rise in a subtle fluid manner. They are supported by three textured cylinders that are united by means of horizontal cross beams.
“Everything in it is brass,” Gibson said. Brass pipes and sheet brass were purchased from Williams and Company, national warehousers for nonferrous metals and alloys. The oxygen-acetylene brazing technique creates pleasing textures at the seams. And because both are of the same alloy, the seams and metal discolor evenly. The effects of the streaked patina, contrasted by the virgin growth of the algae near he base, adds to the vitality of the form.
Actual construction of the 600-pound piece was executed at the hydrogen peroxide warehouse on the FMC premises. “The working conditions were ideal. Everyone there assisted in the project,” Gibson said. “The workers didn’t think too much of my technique, and I’m sure they breathed a sigh of relief when I finished.’ Gibson admitted that he had leaned a lot from the men.
The fountain looms as a virile synthesis of its surrounding components. It is compatible with its environment, the artist feels, but it is strong enough not to be lost in it.
The artist earned a master’s degree with a major in sculpture t Ohio University. Previous teaching experience was at Furman University, S.C., and Salem College. In addition to exhibitions in both states, he held a one-man show at Battelle Memorial Institute Gallery, Columbus, Ohio, last year. Visitors are invited to view the sculpture from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.