Company F Memorial Chairman Bill Menz and staff (Cathy Fox and Lynne Menz) have been making monthly visits to the studio of sculptor, Brian Porter to document the progress on the Company F Soldier. It has been an impressive journey as we witness it’s evolution and Brian shares his inspiration during the process. His attention to detail has been astounding.
Brian explained that you can judge the quality of a statue by the “digits” of the hand. He had spent countless hours studying the grip on the rifle and continually reworked it until he was completely satisfied. He used his nephew as a model to get the facial features just right, emulating a young soldier heading off to Basic Training. In November, he shared some old war movies he has playing in the background while molding the accessories. Whether its the canteen or the brim of the hat, the power to pause a movie scene has been an invaluable visual for him to recreate in 3D. A recent trip to NYC with his son turned out serendipitous as they stumbled on a large WWI monument in Central Park which further validated the work he had been doing. He will continue to research, document and readjust each feature of the sculpture for another month then be ready for the final inspection. Once we provide approval, he’ll transport the pieces to the foundry at the University of Buffalo and begin the process of converting the clay art to molds for the bronze in early 2018. We are especially grateful for Brian allowing us these visits and can’t wait for the final installation!
