Metallic sculpture

This sculpture was built in 1958 by the Jean Richard Ducros Company in Alès (France).

This world renowned construction company was created in 1868 by Richard Ducros and stayed in the same family till 2011. The company was specialised in boiler making and metallic frameworks, which enabled them to earn an important place and reputation in the European market.
This sculpture was created when the company owned a mechanical welding school. It was made with salvaged materials from the oxycutting workshop under the smith’s direction (he was the 144th smith of the company at the time) and according to a sketch made by the technical office of the Alès 1 site.
It was situated in the grand hall of the company’s headquarters when it was built in 1958 and was used as the company’s logo till 1972.

The influence of Pierre André Benoit (a poet, painter, illustrator, printer and art editor, most known by his initials PAB) is noticeable in the piece. He was born in 1921 and died in 1993 having lived in his hometown of Alès his whole life. In 1986 he created a foundation in his name which consists of the 450 works he edited and his entire art collection which includes pieces from Braque, Alechinsky, Picasso, Miro, Picabia, Survage, Dubuffet, Kandinsky, Viera da Silva… Most of whom were close friends of his and often went to Alès. PAB was also friends with Mr Jean Richard Ducros, CEO of the company from 1937 to 1975.

This metallic wall is a 3m (118.1 inches) high diptych, each piece measuring 2.85m (112.2 inches) and 1.47m (57.9 inches) long and both forming a right angle. It is made in such a way that another piece could eventually be added on, so as to make the whole wall 4.32m (170.1 inches) long.
It contains multiple metallic pieces of different shapes and sizes which together can be associated to constructivism.
You can notice the company’s initials (RD) on the upper left part of the sculpture.