In a noteworthy article published by The Niagara Gazette NEWS on February 2, 1964, the remarkable evolution of John Vassar House over the past seven years since his relocation to Rome is succinctly chronicled. Almost a septenary ago, House departed from the Niagara Frontier, bidding farewell to the comforts of his parental home, embarking on what was initially intended as a brief tourist escapade to Rome. Little did he anticipate that this vacation would extend indefinitely, as he found himself immersed in the vibrant artistic milieu of the Italian capital. What began as a simple visit to cast a single piece of sculpture blossomed into a flourishing career spanning continents?
House’s creations now grace the interiors of churches, the halls of museums, and the confines of private collections, spanning from the majestic peaks of the Alps to the bustling streets of Japan and, poignantly, back to the cascading waters of Niagara Falls.
As much as Rome was certainly a testing ground for House’s creative activities, his early years and intellectual studies also had a significant impact. House’s creative vision was developed and nourished, planting the seeds of inspiration that would grow into his brilliant masterpieces, thanks to a strong foundation of experience, education, and training. After moving to Rome in 1957, House looked for work at the Overseas School to give him a reliable source of income as he tried to make a name for himself as a sculptor. House’s designs remained firmly grounded in reality despite their abstract and philosophical nature, which is a monument to his uncompromising commitment to the fundamental qualities of the materials he worked with.
House’s genuine brilliance emerges in the nuanced interaction between abstraction and actuality. House has become a visionary, ushering in a new age in modern art with his faithful and clever fusion of these seemingly unrelated components. The piece insightfully notes that House might one day be hailed as one of the modern art movement’s saviors, his avant-garde methods revitalizing the field.
John Vassar House made a lasting impression on the sculpture community by forging a career for himself as well as a unique place in the annals of art history. His contributions to the Niagara Frontier’s illustrious history and the art world at large bear witness to his steadfast talent and unflinching commitment. Future generations will surely continue to be inspired by House’s artistic legacy as his journey unfolds.
This detail of the Appian Way shows the texture of the wood wedges and veins when inserted into the clay.
The method used in all of John Vassar’s many bridges was the same. The reverse arch shape was made in a deep clay container, and the wood wedges were pressed into the clay and later removed, leaving the gap (with the texture of the wood veins). It’s similar to building an arch upside-down without a keystone. The cantilever, which is always built upside-down to maintain balance, presented the arch’s final difficulty. The void (female) was then cast in organically reinforced plaster to create a wax model (male), which was subsequently cast.
According to records, more than fifty Bridges—the longest of which measured 144 cm in length, 40 cm in width, and 41 cm in height—were cast and sent to the US for patrons of John Vassar House.
Volcano, Coliseum, Persepolis, Thermopylae, Appian Way, Niagara, Zobel, and Milvio (like the Roman Bridge) are just a few of the names of the numerous bridges from this era that show how much Roman and Greek art influenced John Vassar House while maintaining the homeland Niagara Falls.
John Vassar reflects on his sculptural creations, expressing that “The Rainbow” encapsulates his childhood memories of observing the falls and gorge, blending both physical and poetic elements. He emphasizes the importance of sculpture communicating subtly, leaving a lingering and mysterious impression on the viewer. Despite the risk of being perceived as traditional due to his preference for bronze, he aims to achieve a fluid and dynamic quality in his work. Vassar acknowledged the practical advantages of working in Rome, where superior quality, efficiency, and cost savings are abundant for sculptors. However, he also acknowledged the financial challenges of pursuing art, revealing that it had been a hand-to-mouth existence for his family for many years. Despite this, he found solace in the occasional spark of inspiration, cherishing the few truly impactful ideas that came to him each year.
The Rainbow half arch with the seven colors of the rainbow is indeed a transition model that was unfortunately never built full size.
Two times a year, according to John Vassar, the sun will precisely align to shoot a beam of light through a hole, forming an “X” shape on a metal sphere below. This is only one amazing feature of his sculpture. The artwork itself consists of an arch with seven wedges that represent the planets that are visible, the sun positioned above in the form of a partial sphere, and the moon represented by a second sphere below.
While the Rainbow and Sun-Up-at-Quorum Arches lack the key vault, they ostensibly display the identical wedges that were utilized for the Bridges.
Even after more than 20, John Vassar House’s wedge and arch (bridge) forms continue to be deeply ingrained.
Even though the Sun-Up-at Quorum in Dallas, Texas, is no longer made of bronze, it still has the powerful shapes from the John Vassar House of the 1960s.
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