Murch made several equestrian statues including two life-sized sculptures
Govett’s Leap – Horse and Rider 1976 Resin and marble dust Life size Commissioned by the Blackheath Rhododendron Festival Committee.
Murch made the horse in the backyard of a rented house in Mowbray Road, Chatswood. His assistants were Horace Broadhurst, Steve Sawkins, Peter Day, Colin Brown, son John Murch, Ian Ottley, Ian Chapman.
Charles Archer on his horse Sleipner
1980
Bronze
Life size
Commissioned by the City of Rockhampton; unveiled 11/10/1980; Arthur was aged 78.
Charles Archer (1813 – 1862) along with his brothers explored the Fitzroy River and Dawson Rivers
PROCESS OF PRODUCTION
For the Govett’s Leap sculpture in Blackheath and the Charles Archer & Sleipner sculpture in Rockhampton, Murch used a method of cutting cross-sections of a completed maquette, photographing them and then projecting them to the correct size onto timber then cutting and assembling the cross-sections.
Here are his drawings of the process:
Maquette for Sleipner – Charles Archer’s horse
Maquette for rider
Steve Sawkins photographing the sliced maquette
Proof sheet of photographs of maquette cross-sections
Horrie (Joe) Broadhurst applying mesh to enlarged “slices” of horse
Murch modelling head of Govett – photograph by Steve Sawkins
Horse skull, maquette and enlarged horses head – photograph by Steve Sawkins
First Cavalry Division – General George Macarthur Onslow Trophy
1931
Bronze 56.0 x 49.5 cms on wooden base.
Inscribed: Sculptor: A. J. Murch
Foundry: H. and T. West
Labelled with awards from 1931-1955 for the “Most Efficient Regiment”
Royal NSW Lancers, Parramatta
Made by the “lost-wax” method.
