Long before artist George Segal began casting his friends in plaster to
make his famous signature Pop Art sculptural tableaux there was Oscar Simpson
pioneer dentist. Simpson, who lived in Dodge City invented the gold inlay
process that was to be the bad-boy brand for generations of gangsters and via
his teeth modelling skills became an enthusiastic amateur sculptor. So when
Dodge City was looking to celebrate its new City Hall in 1929 it was Oscar
Simpson who came up with the idea for a cowboy statue. All of which was so, so
news for his friend Joe Sughrue a law enforcement officer soon to be Marshal of
Dodge City. But Joe was a good pal and lay down in a wooden box fully clothed
in cowboy gear and allowed Oscar to fill it with plaster. When this set it was
carefully detatched and used as a mould for a concrete pour. For the face a
life mask was created with a couple of straws poked into Joe’s nose for
breathing purposes. As is most often the case when someone is having plaster
poured on his face the sculpture has its eyes closed an alarming detail in the
depiction of someone who has just drawn a six shooter.
Images:
Top Oscar Simpson’s cowboy sculpture standing on Dodge City’s Boot Hill. Bottom
left Joe Sugharue and right detail of Simpson’s sculpture
