Outdoor Sculpture Department: Tile reconstruction
(above) After treatment: Donna Billick, Home Stretch, 2007, concrete and tile.
Donna Billick received her BS in Genetics in 1973 and her Master’s in fine arts in 1977, studying under Robert Arneson, Roy De Forest, Wayne Thiebaud, and Manuel Neri. She has created over 500 works of large scale mosaic tile sculptures for public spaces throughout California including, Home Stretch, 2007, which is installed at the corner of Lakeville Highway and Frates Road in Petaluma. The sculpture is composed of five spheres which descend in size, with the smallest representing the Earth to symbolize home. The work is covered with vibrant mosaic tiles depicting images of the surrounding rural landscape including chickens, cows, barns, vineyards, waterways, and hills of the local region. This sentinel form is surrounded by a series of benches for viewers to rest and admire the landscape and decorative tiling of the work. This work is in collaboration with Delco Builders and the tiles were provided by Heath Ceramics in Sausalito.
Our studio was contacted by the city of Petaluma who reported that their public sculpture sustained damage from a car accident. Our conservators went onsite to assess the sculpture, discovering that over 60 tiles were damaged beyond repair, including loss of to glaze, grout, concrete and the tiles on one side of the base of the work. As a first step, we worked with Heath Ceramics to color match the original tiles on the base. Working onsite the team excavated the damaged tiles, removed the mortar and grout, and structural repairs were made to the concrete base. Finally, the new replacement Heath tiles and grout were installed to recreate the original pattern.
(above) Before, during, and after treatment.
