Mystery of the Taurus

By Cammy Blount

Every 3 years, the Taurus sculpture on the campus of St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley must be  repainted in order to maintain it's fresh, glossy appearance . This year, painter Brian Hayden, a local sculpture conservator visited Florissant Valley in order apply black wax to the statue.

Photo By Bregt Bogaerts

Created in March of 1999 by the European artist Tony Cragg, the Taurus was sculpted from sandstone in Wuppertal, Germany and cast in bronze at the foundry in Dusseldorf, Germany. The piece was then transported to the Gateway Foundation of Saint Louis and then loaned to Florissant Valley.

The Taurus was created as part of a series called the Early Forms, which all display characteristics of transformation and consumption of space. These vessels of art all represent the means in which we view culture and other cultures around us. 

"Vessels are a strong metaphor for the body and organisms of the natural world", says Cragg.

Photo by Cammy Blount

Whether people seek to find comfort is its beauty to relax for a test, to gain inspiration to create original works of their own, or just simply enjoy basking in the shade it casts, the Taurus will be on campus for some time to come.