[메모] Polich Tallix and Jeff Koons

출처 1: https://contested-spaces.hart.lsa.umich.edu/?p=856

※ 발췌 (excerpt):

(Polich Tallix, Rock Tavern, NY, 2016. Photograph by Shiraz Fazli)

In November 2013, Jeff Koons's orange balloon dog sold for $58.4 million at an auction at Christie's, a record breaker at the time for a living artist. Jeff Koons is one of the most successful, well known, and expensive contemporary artists working today; however, behind each one of his balloon dogs is a team of craftsmen working tirelessly to actualize Koons' vision. This past week, I had the opportunity to see these craftsmen at work at the Pollich Tallix foundry in Rock Tavern, NY.

The Pollich Tallix foundry has manufactured bronze sculptures for many major artists such as Jeff Koons and Isamu Noguchi, and even manufactures the Oscars every year for Academy Awards. When I toured with my casting class, I got a glimpse of every step of the sculpture making process.

 In the large warehouse-like space, there are dozens of craftsmen working on different sculptures. They are given enough room to work with all of the proper protection to guard against the dangers of metalworking. However, except for one woman, I only saw men working on the sculptures. All the other women I saw at the foundry were working in the office and had little to do with the actual process of making the sculptures. I assume that this is due to the physical nature of metalworking and how women are generally discouraged from living heavy objects and putting themselves in danger in the workplace. Because there are so many men working there, they may not feel comfortable accepting a job there because of the increased possibility of harassment and unequal pay. Furthermore, many of these men were people of color and working class.

Throughout the tour, our tour guide made comments about how the foundry’s clients live in a different world than those who work there because of their wealth. Although I do not know how much money the workers make, the tour guide’s comments show that they are not as wealthy as their clients. According to Salary.com, the average foundry worker makes about $15 dollars an hour. This wage is grossly disproportionate to the thousands, if not millions, of dollars the artworks are sold for. The artists are rarely present for the making of the sculptures, contributing their ideas and sketches but not their hands and physical strength. In the end, the craftsmen put all their seasoned talents and labor into making these sculptures, the artist gets all the credit for the idea which they did not work to actualize. The craftsmen’s labor is invisible to the eyes of the art world.

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출처 2: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/nyregion/at-polich-tallix-fine-art-foundry-master-of-metals-is-artists-ally.html

※ 발췌 (excerpt):

(Photo: Metal being poured at Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry.)

Mr. Polich, 82, spends his days at Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry, the 105,000-square-foot factory in Rock Tavern, where his business has been located since 1996. A trim man with a quick wit and an intense focus, he brings a reservoir of energy as well as a range of experience to his roles as craftsman, scientist, innovator, businessman and collaborator.


출처 3: polich tallix – fine art foundry