As the official unveiling of the new Ken Russell bronze statue 'Monto Marvel, King of the Coast' draws near, community interest in his 'creation' grows.

The original fibreglass statue 'Monto Marvel' was installed in Lions Park six months following the tragic death of the Monto-born jockey at Rosehill Racecourse on 9 October, 1993.

Following community requests to upgrade the deteriorating statue, a new, life-sized bronze statue was created by contemporary artists Gillie and Marc Schattner, in close consultation with Ken's family.

Sydney-based artist Gillie Schattner explained the process of how the artists produced the bronze in his likeness.
  
"When approached by Council we were informed that it was extremely important for the current sculpture to look exactly the same as the original."

"Council provided us with 360-degree photos and close-ups of his face, hands and other important details which were our reference throughout the whole process and we referred to them very closely."

"We were also provided with actual photographs of Ken Russell from his family and this enabled us to create even more likeness in the finished art work," Ms Schattner said. 

After receiving images of the existing statue from Council, the artists planned the final pose of the subject and designed the new bronze sculpture on computer.

The design was then made into a large real-size clay mould which took approximately ten weeks to create, with close consultation and guidance from Ken's family who made final changes to achieve the perfect likeness.

Once set, the clay mould was sent to a foundry where it was cast in bronze over a period of four months. The entire production process took approximately seven months; from the initial engagement of the artists to the final delivery in June this year.

The end result is a life-sized bronze statue measuring 1.5m tall and approx. 150kg which will be installed on the existing stone footing in Lions Park during the week of 22 July.
Ms Schattner said it was an amazing project to undertake.

"We really enjoyed learning about Ken Russell and were touched especially speaking with his family at the late stage of the project."

"We felt saddened the original sculpture was starting to perish and feel in a small way we have done Ken a little justice in recreating him in bronze, a material that will last a life time."

"We encourage everyone to give the sculpture a hug because the most loved and touched parts of the sculpture will turn golden over time," Ms Schattner said.
 
The new bronze statue will be formally unveiled to the public at a community event on Sunday, 31 July from 10am onwards, to coincide with the 2016 Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour of Monto and Eidsvold communities.

The original statue will be relocated to the Rockhampton Race Club where Ken frequently raced in the early part of his career, to be restored and displayed by the race club as requested by Ken's family. 

The production of the new bronze statue of Ken Russell was supported by funding from the Australian Government under the Stronger Communities Programme, a successful Regional Arts Development Fund bid by Monto Rotary Club, and North Burnett Regional Council.

Supplied images:
L: Ken Russell obituary sourced from www.queenslandhistoryofracing.com.au
R: Memorial erected at Ken's home town Monto In photo - John Howard, Ken's wife Carol & friend former jockey Colin Lisle. Image: Denis McArthur www.queenslandhistoryofracing.com.au

                           

The 'Kenny Russel Memorial Statue Upgrade - Monto' project is supported by funding from the Australian Government under the Stronger Communities Programme.

The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and North Burnett Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.