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Artist Statement

Sculpture is the art of bringing a moment alive and into focus. It is an idea, a transitory experience, suspended and given permanence. The artist's concept is actualized in a medium that allows the viewer an opportunity for lingering inspection; to visit, interpret, and identify with the crafter's perception.

My work involves the study of animate human forms; their expressiveness and grace at the moment where gravity is tenuous. I attempt to capture this suspended moment in concrete. Concrete in its cured state is also a suspension of its uncured fluid and animate nature.

Commonly, concrete is relegated to structurally rigid, geometric forms. In sculptural work, it is traditionally used as a cast, enticed to mimic the properties of the media used to form a mold. Rather than use a mold, I apply fresh, wet concrete to a temporary form which defines the inside, or backside of the finished piece. I work directly with the concrete in its uncured, plastic state. This approach allows its innate fluid and textural properties to reveal themselves. By crafting the surface quickly with trowel, hand, or brush, the various gravels, sands and cements are allowed to impart their own uniquely individual qualities to the finished work. I add pigments to the base mix and also work various colorants into the fresh surface. They define and capitalize on the immediacy of the tool marks and the responsiveness of the material, as well as complimenting the expressiveness of line and overall form.

Concrete has a limited working time. Once the material is mixed, the work must be completed within hours and there is little opportunity to re-work or correct. Therefore, careful study, preparation, a clear vision of the finished work, and a free but practiced hand are required to ensure success.

I love that the mark of a sweeping, transitory hand, executed in a moment, like a watercolorist's brushstroke, could be fixed in so permanent a record.

Vitae

Jonathan Qualben was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Wagner College in Staten Island, New York, for two years then transferred to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He graduated in 1979 with a B.F.A. in ceramics and sculpture.

After relocating to Missoula, Montana in 1983, Jonathan continued his work in ceramics but eventually settled into a career in architectural design. He was a designer and draftsman for a local architectural firm and operated his own design consultation service before leaving architecture in 1994. Since then, Jonathan has devoted himself to exploring concrete as an artistic medium and developing his own unique application methods and techniques.

Jonathan's other (sometimes complimentary) talents include singing and dancing. He has sung bass with the a-cappella quartet Nothing Sacred, and the Missoula Symphony Choral. He also composes and calls New England style contra-dances and is active in the local ballroom dance community. He serves on the Board of Directors of First Night Missoula and is a Board Member and past President of The Missoula Folklore Society.

Selected Exhibitions:
Bay Ridge Festival of the Arts - Brooklyn, New York - 1997
University of Montana, Missoula, MT- solo show - 1997
Mammyth Bakery Café, Missoula, MT- solo show - 1997 and 1998
Art Museum of Missoula "Yard Art" - 1998
Bernice's Coffee Shop, Missoula, MT - solo show - 1999
Birnbaums Broadway Gallery "Big Sky", Missoula, MT - 1999
Artistic Touch, Missoula, MT - solo show- 2000
Dana Gallery, Missoula, MT- solo shows - 2000, 2001 and 2003
Institute of Medicine and Humanities "Art of Healing", Missoula, MT - 2002
Missoula Museum of Art "Out of the Bullpen Baseball Show", MT - 2003

Represented By:
Trios Gallery - Solana Beach, California
Emerald City Fine Arts - Seattle, Washington
Artifacts Gallery - Bozeman, Montana
Artistic Touch - Whitefish, Montana
Dana Gallery - Missoula, Montana
Jest Gallery - Woods Bay, Montana
Fine Line Designs Gallery, North Ephraim, Wisconsin

Awards:
Missoula Cultural Council Trust for Artists Grant - 1996
Montana Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship Award - 1999.

1. What are the pieces made of?
The concrete is composed primarily of fine-screened sand and Portland cement. I also add various colorants, sands, silicas and gravels (for texture) to the base mix. The reinforcing is a high tensile steel wire which is twisted into various configurations and thicknesses depending on the application. The curing process may take up to one month. The finished strength is similar to terra cotta.

2. How are the pieces made?
Each piece is a "one off" creation. They are not cast in the traditional sense. The process is complex, but essentially I make a temporary mold that will form the backside (inside) of the piece. Into this form, I carve the channels that will accept the steel reinforcing wire, standoff bosses, and hanging loops. When the mold is fully prepared, I have to prepare myself because once the lay-up begins, I must work continuously until the piece is done. This can take considerable time. The pieces must be laid up in one session applying wet concrete to wet concrete for maximum strength and continuity. The wet concrete is worked into the reinforcing channels, followed by the steel itself. More concrete is laid onto the mold and worked wet to develop the finished surface. Additional colorants are worked into the surface (as in fresco work). In addition, I may dust and wash yet more colorants on to the piece before the concrete sets up.

3. Are the pieces heavy? How are they hung?
Most pieces range in weight from 15 to 25 pounds. Usually, one or two heavy-duty picture hangers are sufficient for hanging in plaster or dry wall. It is not normally necessary to hang them at a wall stud. It is, of course, a good idea to use a stud or expanding anchor attachment if the piece is hanging in a traffic area where it might get brushed or knocked, or if the wall composition is suspect. The pieces are supplied with a stainless steel hanging wire, which is permanently attached to cast-in steel loop carriers on the back. The pieces incorporate standoff bosses with cork pads to protect the wall surfaces.

4. Can they be hung outside?
Yes, in a protected location. Concrete is resistant to heat and cold damage. The pieces are sealed to shed water and protect the colors. It is a good idea to avoid harsh, prolonged sun exposure as it may cause the more vibrant colors to fade. Pieces that are subject to weathering may be re-sealed periodically with a good quality concrete sealant.

5. Are the pieces difficult to ship?
Some of the pieces have rather delicate appendages (arms, legs etc.) that are removable for shipping purposes. A steel shaft in the removable piece simply slides into a brass sleeve in the main body. A few wraps of wire around the steel pins on either side of the joint secure it all together. Assembly and disassembly is done with the piece face down on a soft, supportive surface (soft foam, pillow, etc.) taking care to avoid undue pressure on any of the more delicate features.
The pieces are normally shipped via UPS or other common carrier in a heavy cardboard, double box container. The inner cardboard box is made to provide 1½" clearance all around the disassembled piece. I construct baffles in the corners that are the depth of the box. These serve to both stiffen the box and to limit shifting of the piece and displacement of the packing material. The piece is laid face down in a bed of Styrofoam peanuts, rocked and settled into place and the remainder for the space filled with more peanuts. I usually wrap the appendages (if any) separately in bubble wrap and place those in the baffles or in the body cavity. The inner box is placed in another box that is larger all around by 1½". The space between the inner and outer boxes is also filled with peanuts or soft foam blocks.

I support the reduction of waste, and the re-use or recycling of materials. I use recycled and recyclable packing materials whenever possible. Printed and promotional materials use 100% post-consumer recycled products. In an effort to reduce resource consumption and to minimize waste, I encourage my customers to continue the reuse or recycling of these materials.