Bob Hawke College
Immediately after the College was formally named in honour of Bob Hawke, Jon Tarry was commissioned to create a bronze bust of the former Prime Minister.
Bronze casting is an ancient and time-consuming technology that has been used for centuries in many countries and cultures. To give the portrait a sense of timelessness and lightness within the entry lobby, Jon took inspiration from classical Greek and Roman busts that suggest the upper shoulder only and leave space between the bust and the plinth.
Modelling a likeness from photographs rather than life is especially difficult. To assist this Jon used a combination of old and new technology. Photographs of Bob Hawke from the era when he was Prime Minister were scanned into a special computer program that mapped the proportions of his face, printing them in 3D as a reference tool from which Jon made the armature, or skeleton. From there the hand made took precedence and working outwards from the armature Jon built the face with a small range of tools, adding and subtracting clay until the likeness emerged.
A portrait is not only a physical likeness of the person but should also convey their personality. In capturing Bob Hawke’s expression, Jon’s aim was to convey compassion, contemplation, reflection and the liveliness for which he was renowned. In keeping with the rugged face of a middle-aged man, the bust is deliberately textured in places. The marks of the hand, tools and earthy material used to create the portrait allude subtly to the skills and tools of the working men and women that Bob Hawke loved and who loved him. The slightly loose collar and tie and suggestion of a smile on his lips suggest the bonhomie that he enjoyed socially with people from all walks of life.
Once the clay model was complete a complex four-stage casting process began going from negative, to positive, to negative and then to the completed positive. First liquid silicon rubber was poured over the clay. When it solidified and set, it was carefully removed from the clay in sections, and re-assembled. Next, jeweller’s wax was poured into this negative, hollow mould. Once this had set, the silicone was carefully cut away again leaving the hollow wax positive. This was then dipped into porcelain slip and fired in a furnace so that, as the porcelain vitrified, the wax melted to create a hollow. Finally, molten bronze was poured into this hollow, left to cool and solidify, and the porcelain was chipped away. Knowing that the bronze would shrink as it cooled, the original model and moulds were made ten per cent larger than the required end size.
The cast bronze bust was finished with a naturally coloured layer of protection, called a patina, which is an accelerated means of surface ageing that in turn protects it. Jon has developed his own patina recipes and in this case chose to give the bronze a subtle silvery glow by brushing it with a compound including silver nitrate. The plinth is made from blackened steel with brass detailing.
Media Stories:
Art Collective – All will be revealed
6PR – Radio interview with Jon Tarry
Canberra Times – Bob Hawke College to open in Perth
WA Govt Media Statement – World-class Bob Hawke College officially opened
Acknowledgements:
Artist – Jon Tarry
Title – Bob Hawke
Architect – Bateman T & Z Architects Joint Venture
Client – Department of Education
Casting – Phillip Perides
Art Co-Ordination – Maggie Baxter