Pubdate: Wed, 21 Feb 2007
Source: Oakville Beaver (CN ON)
Copyright: 2007, Oakville Beaver
Contact:  http://www.haltonsearch.com/hr/ob/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1600
Author: Krissie Rutherford

CHUVALO'S BRONZE STATUE READY FOR ACTION

Standing ringside in a Toronto gym Monday, George Chuvalo felt right
at home.

Minutes later, though, when a life-size bronze sculpture of the former
Canadian Heavyweight Champion was unveiled showing his fist ready for
action, Chuvalo didn't know how to react.

"What a cute profile," he said, smiling, and checking out the bronze
version of himself from all angles.

"You're just not used to seeing yourself like this. It's interesting.
You see yourself and it's kind of, I don't know what to say. It's
cool. It really captures a part of me."

The woman who did the capturing is Oakville's Gabrielle Horvath. A
veteran artist, Horvath used a technique employed by just a handful of
people in the world: open sand cast bronze sculpting.

The work is made by splashing several layers of molten bronze onto a
sand mold of the subject. As Horvath puts it, "it's painting with fire."

The Chuvalo bust she created shows a fist poised and a tough yet
almost pained expression on his face.

It captures, Horvath says, both Chuvalo's boxing career and what he
now champions outside the ring: The Fight Against Drugs.

Chuvalo's wife and three of four sons died of substance abuse. He has
since been travelling across the country to spread awareness about the
dangers of drugs.

"He's got all this power that I think is obviously very evident, and I
think given the history of his family life and everything else, I
think it also depicts the torment, perhaps, or the tragedies that have
befallen him," Horvath said of the sculpture. "It shows both, I think,
because of this format."

Chuvalo's youngest son, Jesse, died 22 years ago this week. He shot
himself because he couldn't live with his addiction.

"If three of my sons didn't die, I wouldn't be doing this," Chuvalo
said of his Fight Against Drugs endeavour. "But because they died, I
think I can help some of the young people to think twice about using
drugs.

"If I didn't do what I'm doing now, my sons would have died in vain.
And I don't ever want that to happen," added Chuvalo, who retired in
1979 as the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of Canada.

The proceeds from the sale of the sculpture - Chuvalo and Horvath are
hoping an organization will come forward to auction it off at an event
- - will go to The Fight Against Drugs, minus about $1,000 for Horvath's
materials cost.

"It's my contribution to the Fight against Drugs and George's work,"
said Horvath. "I've always been a big fan of his."

A long-time fan of boxing who spent the 1990s in Long Island, New
York, Horvath started sculpting athletes after meeting champions of
the ring including Jake LaMotta, Ken Norton and Archie Moore.

She created sculptures of the fists of all three boxers, and at
LaMotta's urging, Horvath contacted Chuvalo to do a direct impression
of his face and fist.

"I think it's artistic but I think it's just as historic," she said of
the result. "It has I think wonderful credibility in the fact that
I've taken a direct impression of his face, rather than sculpting."

Horvath actually made molds of Chuvalo's face, arm, shoulder and fist
to work from.

It wasn't easy, either, considering he's somewhat claustrophobic.

"It was kind of stifling, all the stuff all over your face, you
couldn't breathe properly," said Chuvalo. "It took quite a while."

Added Horvath, "We had to do the top of his face, then we had to do
the bottom of his face. I had to do his arm separately and his fist
separately. It was quite a bit of work."

After six months and several different appointments, the sculpture was
complete.

It captures all of the contours of his face - Chuvalo could tell right
away the art was a true representation.

"I can tell it's myself because on my left side I have a little more
scar tissue," he said, touching just under his left eye and comparing
it to the sculpture. "It's a little bumpier here."

Many impressions have been taken of Chuvalo in the past, but this, he
says "is the most accurate."

"This is the first time a direct impression has been done of me, and
I'm very happy with it," he said, after posing beside it, fist poised
as it is in the sculpture.

"It captures kind of the mood of the way people see me, I think, as a
former fighter. It speaks for itself in many ways."

And it's a one-of-a-kind. Once a sand mold has been created, it can't
be re-used.

"I'm going to have a hard time parting with it," Horvath told Chuvalo,
smiling. "You've been around me now for a long time."

The life size bronze bust of George Chuvalo will be on display at
Toronto's Bloor Street Boxing and Fitness, 2295 Dundas St. W., for the
rest of the week.

Chuvalo and Horvath are looking for organizations interested in
auctioning off the sculpture to raise funds for The Fight Against Drugs.
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MAP posted-by: Derek