Chain Reaction (sculpture)

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Chain Reaction
Artist Paul Conrad
Year 1990–91
Type Sculpture
Material Copper chain link and stainless steel
Location Santa Monica, California, United States
Coordinates Coordinates: 34°00′35″N 118°29′24″W / 34.009768°N 118.490096°W / 34.009768; -118.490096
Owner Administered by City of Santa Monica Arts Department

Chain Reaction is a 1991 American peace monument and public art sculpture created by editorial cartoonist Paul Conrad (1924–2010). It is located in Santa Monica, California, at the Santa Monica Civic Center, on the east side of Main Street between the Santa Monica Courthouse and the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, across the street from the campus headquarters of the RAND Corporation. The sculpture weighs 5.5-tons and takes the form of an 8-meter (26-foot) high mushroom cloud created by a nuclear explosion. Composed of copper chain links, the sculpture is built on a metal framework of stainless steel and fiberglass surrounded by concrete. It is one of approximately 37 works of public art in the 8.3 square mile city of Santa Monica.[1][2]

An inscription at the base of the sculpture reads, "This is a statement of peace. May it never become an epitaph." The theme of the sculpture reflects the subject of nuclear disarmament.[3] Conrad first expressed interest in building the sculpture in either Beverly Hills or Santa Monica in 1988. He built the sculpture with the help of an anonymous donation of $250,000 and donated the sculpture to the city of Santa Monica after it was approved by the city. It was later revealed that the donation came from philanthropist Joan Kroc, widow of Ray Kroc, the founder of the McDonald's corporation. Joan Kroc spent millions campaigning for nuclear disarmament in the 1980s.[4][5][6]

After Conrad died in 2010, the city of Santa Monica began to reevaluate the structural integrity of the sculpture. In 2011, the city erected a fence around the sculpture due to safety concerns.[7] The City Council set a deadline of February 1, 2014, for supporters of the sculpture to contribute to restoration funds, otherwise the sculpture could face decommissioning.[8] Community activists debated how to pay for needed repairs and a series of fundraisers were held to contribute to the restoration project. In 2012, the Landmarks Commission gave the sculpture official landmark status.[9]

Background

Conrad was raised in Des Moines, Iowa, by a conservative Catholic family.[10] After graduating High School, he worked in construction in Alaska, and found extra work as a piano player in a brothel.[11] He was then drafted into the Army Corps of Engineers and fought in Guam and Okinawa.[12] After the war, he studied art at the University of Iowa. Conrad was recruited as a cartoonist by the editor of the Daily Iowan. He decided to make it his profession and he was hired by the Denver Post as their editorial cartoonist after graduation in 1950.[13]

U.S. nuclear weapon tests circa 1952

It was at the Denver Post where his cartoons first touched upon the subject of peace and nuclear weapons. His cartoon depicting the ending of the atmospheric nuclear testing moratorium in 1961 was categorized by Gamson and Stuart (1992) as falling under the universal “Common Security” media frame popularized by the peace movement in the United States. These types of cartoons emphasized progress towards disarmament and “mutual cooperation, trade, cultural interaction, problem solving, and peacemaking” towards other nations, such as the Soviet Union.[14]

He joined the Los Angeles Times in 1964 where he spent the next four decades until he retired. After criticizing president Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal, Conrad was the only cartoonist to appear on Nixon's Enemies List. In the 1980s, Conrad criticized the military buildup and arms race advocated by president Ronald Reagan, and the involvement of the Reagan administration in the Iran–Contra affair, the illegal covert operation which sold weapons to Iran to secure the release of hostages while funding the contras in Nicaragua with the proceeds from the arms sales.[10]

Conrad later began working as a sculptor, often donating smaller works for fundraisers.[15] Conrad died at the age of 86 in 2010.[12]

Funding

Philanthropist Joan Kroc, widow of Ray Kroc, the founder of the McDonald's corporation, was active in the anti-nuclear movement in the United States. She was also known as a generous patron of the arts. Kroc met Conrad after he gave a lecture, and she later became friends with him and his wife. She anonymously contributed $250,000 to build the sculpture.[4][5][16]

Design

The sculpture is based on a cartoon sketch by Conrad.[17] Custom fabricator Peter M. Carlson, who also created sculptures for artists Ellsworth Kelly, Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, and Charles Ray, assembled the 26-foot high sculpture depicting an upwardly expanding nuclear mushroom cloud by linking 38,000 hollow brass J-shaped pipes used for plumbing fixtures. The pipes are welded together and attached by screws and wire to fiberglass covering a steel frame.[18][19][20] According to the Chain Reaction City Landmark Assessment Report by ICF International:

the sculpture has a disheveled quality akin to the sketch-like markings and distorted proportions [of] Paul Conrad's political cartoons...this quality is conveyed by the...treatment of the stem, the irregular placement of the links, and a subtle distortion of scale between the tall stem, its pronounced bulges, and a relatively small mushroom cloud. The ability of the large brass links to catch light and define pockets of random shadow in the small spaces between them is similar in effect to the stark treatment of light [and] dark that Conrad often employed in his political cartoons."[20]

Two plaques appear at the base, with one bearing the name of the artist (Paul Conrad), the title of the work and date (Chain Reaction, 1991), a description of the material used to construct the sculpture (Copper chain link and stainless steel) and information about the work (Collection of the City of Santa Monica. A donation from an anonymous donor. A project of the Santa Monica Arts Commission). The inscription on the second plaque reads, "This is a statement of peace. May it never become an epitaph."[21]

Proposal

Conrad expressed interest in building the sculpture in either Beverly Hills or Santa Monica. In 1988, he created a two foot model of the sculpture and proposed his work to the Santa Monica Art Commission.[20] He showed off a model of the proposed sculpture to the Beverly Hills Fine Arts Committee in early 1989. The committee, appointed by the Beverly Hills City Council, deliberated Conrad's proposed sculpture for three months. During that time, Conrad was attacked as an anti-Semite by several residents of Beverly Hills because of his recent editorial cartoons depicting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the intifada. The Beverly Hills committee eventually turned down the proposal for the Chain Reaction sculpture on April 12, 1989, citing the lack of a suitable site in Beverly Hills that could accommodate the structure. "It is a piece of monumental proportions that needs a very large, large area," committee chairwoman Ellen Byrens told the Los Angeles Times.[22]

Santa Monica debated the proposal for four years. More than a thousand ballots were cast in Santa Monica, with the majority voting against the placement of the sculpture. However, the Santa Monica Art Commission voted four separate times to accept the work, with the final vote taking place in 1990.[23] The City Council finally approved the work in 1991. Funds were donated to the Santa Monica Arts Foundation to build it and the sculpture was given to the city as a gift.[24]

Safety inspection

The sculpture was surveyed and considered "well maintained" by the Smithsonian's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in March 1995.[25] In June 2011, an inspector observed children climbing the sculpture. Safety tests were performed showing that the underlying material of fiberglass and attached copper chains were stable. However, questions were raised about the long term use of fiberglass; rust and corrosion were also found on the steel frame skeleton and the anchor bolts holding the sculpture to the base were weakened.[26] On June 27, 2011, a safety fence was installed to protect the public.[24]

Los Angeles Times art critic Christopher Knight defended the sculpture from those who claimed it should be removed because of its weakened state. In defense of the sculpture, Knight cited a 2012 report for the city authored by a structural engineer who concluded that in his expert opinion, "the sculpture is not an imminent hazard nor should it be considered dangerous".[18]

Landmark

In May 2012, the city of Santa Monica filed an application to nominate the sculpture for landmark status. A public hearing was held in July, after which the sculpture was selected as a landmark by the Santa Monica Landmarks Commission.[27] It was the first work of public art to become a landmark in the City of Santa Monica.[28]

Other works

  • Risen Christ (Altar piece, St. John Fisher Church, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.)
  • Otis Chandler (Bust, Los Angeles Times building)

See also

References

  1. ↑ Santa Monica Art Trek Map. Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau. 2011.
  2. ↑ Rogers, J. (2012, July 15). Aging anti-war sculpture prompts explosive debate. Associated Press. WVLT. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  3. ↑ Lollis, E. (2013). Monumental Beauty: Peace Monuments and Museums Around the World. Bookstand Publishing. ISBN 9781618635433. p. 37.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Napoli, L. (2013, August 26). The artist, the philanthropist, the sculpture: Paul Conrad, Joan Kroc and the secret history of Chain Reaction. Which Way L.A.? KCRW.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Pike, I. (2013, October 6). Goodbye, "Chain Reaction"? San Diego Reader. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  6. ↑ Harris, S. (1985, October 13). Dismayed by Nuclear Arms Race: McDonald's Fortune Fuels Joan Kroc's Peace Effort. Los Angeles Times.
  7. ↑ Pool, B. (2011, June 29). Paul Conrad's "Chain Reaction": Controversial Santa Monica sculpture may need repair. Los Angeles Times.
  8. ↑ Echavaria, V. (2013, January 31). Santa Montica City Council gives on-year extension for anti-nuclear sculpture fundraising. The Argonaut. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  9. ↑ Romero, D. (2012, July 10). 'Chain Reaction' by Paul Conrad Now a Santa Monica Landmark. LA Weekly. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Multer-Wellin, B. (2006). Paul Conrad: Drawing Fire. Documentary, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
  11. ↑ Schudel, M. (2010, September 5). Pulitzer-winning political cartoonist. The Washington Post, p. B04.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 McFadden, R. D. (2010, September 4). Paul Conrad, Cartoonist, Dies at 86. The New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  13. ↑ Jones, A. (2001, October 26). Pen-and-ink prophet. National Catholic Reporter, 38(1): 12–13.
  14. ↑ Gamson, W. A., & Stuart, D. (1992). Media Discourse as a Symbolic Contest: The Bomb in Political Cartoons. Sociological Forum, 7(1): 55–86.
  15. ↑ Jones, A. (2001, October 26). Pen-and-ink prophet. National Catholic Reporter, pp. 12–13.
  16. ↑ Napoli, L. (2012, March 20). Updated: City council to unravel Chain Reaction? KCRW; Napoli, L. (2013, October 18). The Secret Behind a Piece of Anti-Nuclear Public Art. The California Report. KQED Public Radio.
  17. ↑ Hill-Holtzman, N. (1991, December 29). Disputed Sculpture Finally in Place. Los Angeles Times, p. J5.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Knight, C. (2013, September 19). Santa Monica bid to remove Paul Conrad's "Chain Reaction" nonsensical. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  19. ↑ Moody, L. (1995, July 26). Some assembly required. Daily News.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 ICF International. (2012, July). Chain Reaction, Santa Monica, California, City Landmark Assessment Report. Evaluation Report. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  21. ↑ Senn, E. (2013, August 13). The Contested Fate of Santa Monica's 'Chain Reaction'. Artbound. KCET. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  22. ↑ Chazanov, M. (1989, April 16). Mushroom-Cloud Statue Bombs in Beverly Hills. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  23. ↑ Rivera, J. (1990, October 11). Mushroom Cloud Sculpture OKd for Santa Monica Site. Los Angeles Times, p. 1.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Chain Reaction sculpture to be assessed. (2011, June 27). States News Service.
  25. ↑ ”Chain Reaction (sculpture)”. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  26. ↑ Archibald, A. (2012, March 7). "Chain Reaction" is galvanizing local activists. Santa Monica Daily Press.
  27. ↑ Staff. (2013, September 22). Chain Reaction Petition Surpasses 1,000 Online Signatures. Santa Monica Mirror.
  28. ↑ Bach, M. (2012, December). Landmarks Commission Report: Three Iconic New Landmarks. Santa Monica Conservancy News, 10(4): 6.

Further reading

External links

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