Asheboro Artist Crafts Synthetic Rock into Rugged Works of Art
arts, asheboro, culture, dwight m. holland, north carolina state university, randolph county,
Sculptor Dwight M. Holland has carved a rock-solid career out of work that many people might find unusual.
The longtime Asheboro resident has perfected a process of making synthetic rocks from concrete. The concrete is poured and then sculpted into a rock formation‚ and the finished products are primarily used as ornamental landscape decorations by businesses and homeowners.
“ I’ve supposedly been retired for 14 years‚ but I’m busier than ever‚” Holland says. “I’m currently working on a 25-foot-high mountain of synthetic rock for North Carolina State University. It’ll have bronze wolves climbing on it‚ since their school’s nickname is the Wolfpack‚ and the rock sculpture will be on display in front of N.C. State’s new football facility.”
Holland began his sculpting career after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1954. He moved to Asheboro to serve as one of the first public-school art teachers in the state‚ and eventually became chairman of the art design program at Randolph Community College.
“In 1969‚ the state decided to build a zoo and I was asked to join the committee to help get the zoo located in Randolph County‚” Holland says. “It was a successful endeavor‚ and the Randolph zoo organizers wanted good-looking rocks put into place throughout the facility. They wanted them certain sizes and shapes‚ so I became part of a design staff that would create rocks for the zoo.”
Holland learned how to build synthetic rocks through experimentation and observing the process at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
“To build a rock‚ I first fasten together some horizontal and vertical rebar [steel rods] to form the overall shape of the rock‚” Holland says. “I then pour plaster over all the rebar until it hardens‚ and then spray and splatter slurries of concrete onto the plaster.”
When the large block of concrete begins to harden‚ Holland begins the sculpting process.
“There is a short working time before the concrete completely hardens when I can shape and carve it into the desired rock form‚” Holland says. “Once it hardens‚ I then paint it with a palette of colors‚ because if you look closely at a real rock‚ it often has many different colors besides the typical brown‚ black and gray.”
Holland also sculpts pottery‚ which he calls “not quite as difficult as rock-making.
“Both are challenging‚” he says‚ “with the finished products being the rewards.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Greg Emens
