Bronze Repair & Patina Repair
A bronze repair by Owens in Orlando, FL in the mid-90’s.
This eight-foot tall bronze, entitled “Nijinski Hare” by Barry Flanagan, used to sit on a three-foot tall base facing a prominent street in downtown Orlando, Florida. It was a trouble magnet. Birds bombed it without cease. Skate boarders would leap into the air, catch the extended leg and hang off of it. Owens got a call after someone splashed it with a caustic liquid of some kind. The sculpture was unsightly even after building maintenance did their best to wash it. This called for a patina repair over a large area.
One of Owen’s co-workers, who prefers to keep his privacy.
In the process of the patina repair, one of Owens’ associates noticed a crack that extended around half the circumference of the sole supporting leg, down near the base. It was barely visible but it was there. The leg was like a tube in the sense that it was hollow. It’s supposed to be. They verified that the crack was not superficial but went through to the inside of the leg.
The 3-man team repaired the crack by welding it on site using mobile equipment. Then they erected a sort of tent around the sculpture and completed a “hot” patina repair. This involved heating the bronze and applying a traditional patina solution.
“Before and after” shots are not available as their skills at photography were sadly lacking. However, the Client was extremely satisfied with the results.