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Every Thursday, we feature an image from the StarPhoenix archives, curated by the City of Saskatoon Archives. Today, we see Regina artist Lorraine Malach and masonry contractor Jake Ketler mounting one of Malach’s ceramic artworks at the Sturdy Stone Centre, from March 7, 1983. (City of Saskatoon Archives StarPhoenix Collection S-SP-A1983-4, photo by Peter Blashill)
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From the StarPhoenix Archives:
The last commissioned artwork for the Sturdy-Stone Centre is stretched out like a huge jigsaw puzzle on the building’s eighth floor.
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According to Regina artist Lorraine Malach, who was commissioned to create the ceramic mural in November, 1981, the two-part work should be in position above the eighth-floor elevators within two weeks.
The ceramic mural, finished with a combination of commercial glazes and Malach’s own recipes as well as oxides and champagne glass, features the gentle contortions of numerous jugglers.
“It was designed with curving shapes, to counteract all the angles in the area,” Malach said, gesturing at the corners and doorways opening onto the elevator lobby.
Eyes are always drawn upwards when people wait for an elevator, and murals on the main, second, eighth, ninth and 10th floors of the Sturdy-Stone Centre give workers and visitors something unusual to observe. …
(Malach’s) goal was to create something joyful, “but not frivolous,” she said. “The jugglers’ faces are serious; they’re serious about what they’re doing.” …
Malach’s mural is predominantly yellow, with accents in blue, white, black and green. The gentle contours of the design are enhanced by soft, yellow lighting.
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Malach’s two juggling murals contain 1,000 pieces in all. …
This is Malach’s second commission for the Sturdy-Stone building; her first is displayed in the main floor lobby.
“This is the only building in Canada with this many ceramic murals in it,” she noted. “It’s unique in that respect.”
Among the artists whose works decorate the exterior and interior of the building are Randy Woolsey, Greg Hardy and Vic Cicansky.
Throwback Thursday is a weekly StarPhoenix series where we revisit photos from Saskatoon’s past.
Check out our entire collection here.
What moment in Saskatoon’s history from March would you like us to revisit next? Send suggestions to jbennett@postmedia.com.
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