Brick Brings an Artist’s Expression to Life

When most people think of brick they picture a solid, dependable, beautiful material…on a building. But the substantial weight of brick can also be the perfect medium with which to express monumental emotions and historic impact in the form of sculpture. The designers at Substance Architecture and artist Kerry James Marshall found that to be true when they set out to create A Monumental Journey, a sculpture in Des Moines, Iowa celebrating the legacy of black lawyers who founded the National Bar Association in 1925.  

It’s no surprise to learn that opportunities for black professionals were severely limited during the early 20th century, and the legal field was no exception. The founders of the National Bar Association had to fight fiercely to overcome racism and segregation to create what has since become the largest association in the country for black lawyers. Given the significance of those efforts, Marshall and Substance Architecture found it fitting to create a sculpture that was powerfully monumental in its appearance.

To meet that lofty goal Marshall took inspiration from an instrument known as the “talking drums,” which comes from regions of West Africa. As Substance Architecture explains, “African drummers communicated complex messages over vast distances by simply varying the pitch of the drum and using tone to mimic patterns of speech.” But Marshall did not simply mimic the exact shape of a talking drum. Instead, he altered the shape to make the sculpture look off-kilter as a way to represent a justice system that is simultaneously imperfect yet striving toward balance. The flexible, unit-by-unit nature of brick made it uniquely ideal for bringing the precariously stacked drum design into being.

Almost the entire exterior of the sculpture consists of Black Manganese Iron Spot brick, manufactured and distributed by Endicott Clay Products and installed by Seedorff Masonry Inc. This brick not only had an elegant and dignified appearance that was perfect for conveying the sculpture's meaning, but it also proved to be a highly moldable material.

Amazingly, every single brick featured in the A Monumental Journey sculpture was first drawn up using digital design software, then custom-made and hand-cut so that every single unit fit perfectly into the overall design. The ends of each brick were also carefully shaved to maintain consistency and emphasize the curving lines of the drum-inspired sculpture.

Every good artist cares deeply not only about the materials they use but also about the craftsmanship that goes into preparing those materials to serve the artist’s expressive goals. At first you might assume that brick is not the kind of material that can give an artist the flexibility and opportunity for exploration that they need during their creative process. However, as the brick in A Monumental Journey reveals, brick can be as malleable in an artist’s hands as wet clay.  

Photos by Corey Gaffer.