Sgraffito: Immigrants Arriving in the New World

Sgraffito: Immigrants Arriving in the New World. . The scene depicts 18th Century immigrants arriving in the New World. The immigrants shown represent the general experience of settlers disembarking from ships with all their worldly possessions, ready to start life anew in a new homeland., This type of art is known as sgraffito, which comes from an Italian word meaning "to scratch." The art technique has been used in Europe since classical times, and was common in Italy in the 16th century. The art form was brought to Germany by the master builders and artisans of the Renaissance. The technique is predominant in Bavaria, Germany, where it was common in the creation of housing facades., Sgraffito may be used in either plaster (as shown here) or with oil or acrylic paints. The work is produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colors to a moistened surface. Essentially, the process is a matter of reverse art, whereby the desired colors are revealed by scratching down to the layer containing the color needed., Heinz Gaugel, the artist who completed the Behalt Cyclorama in 1992, undertook this sgraffito in the summer of 1993. He prepared a master print, painted on a grid, on which the artist established the design and colors necessary to produce the artwork. The five layers of stucco plaster were applied on the grid design., The artist worked with one grid section at a time, using homemade tools to scratch and reveal the form and color desired for the master prine. The section needed to be completed within a three hour time span, before the plaster became too dry. If it could not be finished within the time constraints, the plaster needed to be removed and reapplied for another attempt to reveal the design., Heinz Gaugel completed the sgraffito in the late fall of 1993. It was unveiled and dedicated at a special ceremony with Ohio State Representative Ralph Regula as the guest speaker.