![]() ![]() ![]() "The challenge was taking an enormous three-part structure, and blending it into one smooth unit," says Colea, who has sculptures in locations all over the world. The bear's head was then joined to its body. After the first and second sections were completed, they were joined together, baked again and refinished. Because the process was so complex, the sculpture had to be cast in three parts. After mixing a substance called methylmethacrylate monomer and a polymer resin, the two poured the concoction into a huge bear-shaped mold and baked it in an autoclave under pressure. To make this one-of-a-kind creation, mold maker Alphons Posholy, of Albania, assisted Colea. So the uncooperative fish were shipped out and replaced with more adventurous Asian parrotfish. However, the fish, normally bottom-feeders, liked to hang out in the bottom of the tank, and this didn't do much for the visual effects. The fish were specially stocked for the reopening of the Tea Room. Even though they don't produce the Tea Room's normal fare of Russian beluga, osetra, or sevruga caviar from the Caspian Sea, you get the picture. The bear, sculpted by Romanian Ovidiu Colea and designed by American artist Warner Leroy, originally housed several ornamental shovel-nosed sturgeon, keeping in theme with the Tea Room's signature item, caviar. Here on the second floor of New York City's world famous Russian Tea Room, stands a 15-foot-tall revolving aquarium in the shape of a bear. In his belly, oddly enough, swim six pink parrotfish. Near a shimmering tree of Faberge-style glass eggs, in the flicker of candlelight, stands the great Ursus, the symbol of Russia, precariously balancing four sparkling globes above my head. As I pour a cup of spiced tea from an ancient-looking samovar, I gaze up at the giant towering over me. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |