Chain Reaction (sculpture) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chain Reaction |
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| Artist | Paul Conrad |
| Year | 1991, dedicated 1992 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Medium | Copper chain link and stainless steel |
| Dimensions | 8 metres (26 ft) tall |
| Location | Santa Monica, California, United States |
| Owner | Administered by City of Santa Monica Arts Department |
Chain Reaction is a special sculpture in Santa Monica, California. It's a peace monument that looks like a mushroom cloud. This cloud shape is what you see after a nuclear explosion. The sculpture is made from stainless steel and fiberglass, with a concrete base.
Paul Conrad, an American cartoonist, designed this artwork. Peter M. Carlson helped build it. The sculpture is very big, about 8 meters (26 feet) tall, and weighs 5.5 tons. It was put up in 1991 near the Santa Monica Civic Center.
At the bottom of the sculpture, there's a message: "This is a statement of peace. May it never become an epitaph." This means the sculpture is a strong reminder about the dangers of nuclear war and the importance of nuclear disarmament. A professor named Paul Von Blum said it's a powerful warning about these dangers.
Conrad first wanted to build this sculpture in 1988. An anonymous person gave $250,000 to help build it. Conrad then gave the finished sculpture to the city of Santa Monica. Later, it was found out that the money came from Joan Kroc. She was the wife of Ray Kroc, who started McDonald's. Joan Kroc spent a lot of money in the 1980s to campaign for nuclear disarmament. In 2012, Chain Reaction became the first public artwork in Santa Monica to be named a historic landmark.
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The Artist Behind the Art
Paul Conrad was a famous cartoonist. He started working at the Denver Post newspaper in 1950. There, he began drawing cartoons about peace and nuclear weapons. His drawings often showed how important it was for countries to work together for peace. They also showed the need to reduce nuclear weapons.
In 1964, Conrad moved to the Los Angeles Times. He worked there for 40 years. He was known for criticizing powerful people. For example, he drew cartoons about President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. In the 1980s, he also criticized President Ronald Reagan. Reagan was increasing the number of weapons. Conrad also drew about the Iran–Contra affair, which was a secret deal involving weapons.
Later in his life, Conrad started making sculptures. He often gave his smaller artworks to help raise money for good causes. He met Joan Kroc, who was very involved in the anti-nuclear movement in the United States. She was also a big supporter of the arts. They became friends, and she secretly gave money to build the Chain Reaction sculpture.
How the Sculpture Was Designed
The Chain Reaction sculpture started as a simple drawing by Paul Conrad. It looks a bit messy, like his political cartoons. This style makes it unique. The way the "stem" of the cloud is shaped and how the chain links are placed gives it a special look.
The sculpture was built by Peter M. Carlson. He has also made sculptures for other famous artists. Chain Reaction is 26 feet tall. It shows a nuclear mushroom cloud made from a "large metal chain." This chain is actually made of 38,000 hollow brass pipes. These pipes are usually used for plumbing. They are welded together and attached to a steel frame covered in fiberglass.
The main idea of the sculpture is to promote nuclear disarmament. This means reducing and getting rid of nuclear weapons.
Getting the Sculpture Approved
Paul Conrad wanted to put his sculpture in either Beverly Hills or Santa Monica. In 1988, he showed a small model of it to the Santa Monica Art Commission. Santa Monica discussed the idea for four years.
Conrad also showed his idea to Beverly Hills in 1989. However, some people in Beverly Hills didn't like his recent cartoons about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The Beverly Hills committee eventually said no to the sculpture. They said there wasn't a good enough spot for such a large artwork.
In Santa Monica, many residents were also unsure about the sculpture. A survey showed that more people didn't want it than did. But the Santa Monica Art Commission voted four times to accept the artwork. The City Council finally approved it in 1991. Money was given to a foundation to build it, and then the sculpture was given to the city. Santa Monica's council members were known for supporting progressive ideas, like the anti-war movement. This is why they accepted Conrad's peace sculpture.
Where You Can Find It
Several places were thought of for the sculpture. In 1989, the Arts Commission approved a spot at 14th Street and Olympic Boulevard. Another spot near Memorial Park Gymnasium was also considered.
Chain Reaction was finally put up in 1991 on the lawn of the Santa Monica Civic Center. It's on the east side of Main Street. You can find it between the Santa Monica Courthouse and the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. It's also across the street from the RAND Corporation building. The sculpture is about four blocks from Santa Monica beach and the Pacific Ocean.
There are two plaques at the base of the sculpture. One plaque has the artist's name (Paul Conrad), the title (Chain Reaction), and the date (1991). It also says what it's made of (Copper chain link and stainless steel). The other plaque has the important message: "This is a statement of peace. May it never become an epitaph."
The sculpture was officially dedicated at a "Peace Day" festival on August 1, 1992. Kaz Suyeishi, a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, spoke at the event.
Keeping the Sculpture Safe
In 1995, the sculpture was checked and found to be in good condition. After Paul Conrad passed away in 2010, the city of Santa Monica started looking at the sculpture's structure more closely. In 2011, someone saw children climbing on it. Tests showed that the main structure was stable. However, there were concerns about the fiberglass over time. An inspection found rust and weak anchor bolts holding the sculpture down. Because of this, the city put a safety fence around it.
In 2012, the city's Arts Commission decided to remove the sculpture from public view. The City Council agreed but gave supporters time to raise money for repairs. An art critic named Christopher Knight said the sculpture was not dangerous.
While people were raising money, the city applied to make the sculpture a landmark. In July, the Santa Monica Landmarks Commission officially named Chain Reaction a landmark. It was the first public artwork in Santa Monica to get this special status.
The City Council set a deadline of February 1, 2014, for the repair money to be collected. If not, the sculpture might have been taken down. Community groups held fundraisers. On February 25, the City Council voted to use $100,000 in public donations to fix the sculpture.
Other Sculptures by Paul Conrad
Paul Conrad also created other public sculptures:
- Trinity (A statue at Marymount California University)
- Risen Christ (An altar piece at St. John Fisher Church in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)
- Otis Chandler (A bust at the Los Angeles Times building)
