Enduring Love

It was a big week for the bayfront.

Crews began to re-install “Unconditional Surrender” Tuesday morning at its permanent home.

The California-based non-profit, The Sculpture Foundation, that is overseeing the installation, expects work on the 25-foot-tall bronze sculpture to be completed by Friday, Dec. 7 — Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. The sculpture, which recently underwent repair, was trucked down from New Jersey in two pieces on two flat-bed trucks.

The larger-than-life sculpture was removed in April, after a woman driving a Mercedes Benz smashed into the base of the statue, causing enough damage to force the structure to come down. It was shipped to Johnson Atelier, a Mercerville, N.J., studio that fabricates and installs art sculptures.

Superstorm Sandy delayed the delivery of the sculpture back to Sarasota.

A closer look
How long did it take to repair?
The repair process started in the beginning of May, as soon as it was received at the artist’s studio, in New Jersey.

 How heavy is the sculpture?
The sculpture weighs 14,000 pounds.

 How long did it take to make?
 From start to finish, it took more than a year for artist Seward Johnson to make the sculpture.

What are some details about the paint?
 A Chromabase paint was used on the sculpture. This paint is highly durable and used on cars and airplanes. There are layers of paint on the sculpture, especially on the face and hands, where multiple colors are used to achieve a realistic skin tone.
 
How was it shipped back to Sarasota?
 The sculpture was built in two pieces and was shipped back to Sarasota on two flat-bed trucks. The sculpture was not covered during transport, so the public was able to see “Unconditional Surrender” traveling from New Jersey to Florida.