West Bas Relief

West Bas Relief. , Bernard Frazier's bas relief sculptures were applied to three facades of the State Office Building. Carved from Indiana limestone, they portrayed early Kansas history contrasting with the Modern Movement architecture. He worked from summer 1956 to 1957, battling extreme temperatures., Frazier first created half-size sculptures to serve as models for the 12-foot stone carvings. He made rough figures with power tools on the limestone slabs, used hand carving tools to refine the sculpture, and then applied the works to the building façade. He analyzed the figures as he worked, watching how changes in the light and the viewing angle, from the ground and the scaffolding, emphasized different elements in the sculpture. He made subtle modifications to the sculptures as needed, working early in the morning and late at night to avoid blocking access to entrances for workers and the public. Frazier was inspired by indigenous carvings and pictographs. , (aside:), Bernard "Poco" Frazier , 1906-1976 , Born in Athol, Kansas, Bernard Frazier began his life's work carving native stone and clay while growing up on the family farm. He became a respected sculptor, creating hundreds of commissioned works for businesses, churches, and public buildings in the Midwest., Frazier studied painting in the School of Design at the University of Kansas (KU), earning the nickname, "Poco," for his small stature while setting records in track competitions. After completing a prestigious internship in Chicago, Frazier returned to the University of Kansas to create 12 dioramas for the Dyche Natural History Museum. As a professor at KU, Frazier established the university's first classes in sculpture. His public art includes an eight-foot-tall limestone bear in Jefferson City, Missouri, cast bronze doors for the University of Kansas campanile, and a marble allegorical statue, Justice, at the Kansas Judicial Center.