back to sculpture

Murch made several equestrian statues including two life-sized sculptures

Horse_sculpture

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, Ian Ottley, Ian Chapman.

Charles-Archer-sculpture-Rockhampton-for-web

Charles-Archer-sculpture-Rockhampton-2-for-web

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:

Process-for-enlarging-horse-sculpturefor-web Process-for-enlarging-horse-sculpture-pt2-for-web
Archer-horse-maquette-for-web

Maquette for Sleipner – Charles Archer’s horse

 

Maquette-Govett-process-for-web

Maquette for rider

Steve-&-horse-enlarging-for-web

Steve Sawkins photographing the sliced maquette

Horse-Process-proof-sheet-for-web-2

Proof sheet of photographs of maquette cross-sections

 

Horrie-&-Archer-horse-process

Horrie (Joe) Broadhurst applying mesh to enlarged “slices” of horse

Govett-Arthur-with-head002-for-web

Murch modelling head of Govett – photograph by Steve Sawkins

Govett-horse-head001-for-web

Horse skull, maquette and enlarged horses head – photograph by Steve Sawkins

Govett's-Leap-sculpture-parts-for-web
First-Horse-sculpture-for-web

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.