Robert Mihaly

Robert Aaron Mihaly (born January 8, 1967) is an American stone sculptor, conceptual artist, and painter.

Robert Mihaly
Born (1967-01-08) January 8, 1967
Akron, Ohio
NationalityAmerican
Known forCastle Mont Rouge, conceptual art, sculpture, painting
Patron(s)Duke University, East Carolina University, US Postal Service

Life, Family, and Career

Mihaly was born in Akron, Ohio. Largely self-educated, he dropped out of an art/honors scholarship at Kent State University and moved to North Carolina.[1][2] At the age of 21, he was awarded $10,000 in a national college entrepreneur contest.[3] His business plan to design and sell artistic architectural ornaments was selected from 600 other proposals.[3]

In 1996–97, Mihaly was the Artist in Residence at Washington National Cathedral,[4] during which Mihaly attempted to transform a 24,000-pound (11,000 kg) Vermont marble block into an angel. The cathedral came to see the stone and scaffolding as an eyesore and safety hazard, and removed the structure, leaving Mihaly unable to work. Mihaly unsuccessfully sued the cathedral in small-claims court for breach of contract.[5]

In 2002, Duke University commissioned Mihaly for the first gargoyles at Duke since the construction of the Gothic-styled West Campus,[6] to honor Aubrey and Kathleen McClendon, a couple who gave $5.5 million for a new dorm.[7] The Gothic west campus has more than 100 gargoyles perched upon buildings, but Mihaly's two new sculptures did not entertain the wealthy donors they were intended to honor,[6] and were subsequently removed from the building.

Mihaly lives in Durham, NC with his long-time partner, Caroline Smith, and their two children. The couple met in 2003 and lived in one of the finished rooms at Mihaly's Castle Mont Rouge until 2006, which Smith described as "whimsical fun, enigmatic, and romantic". [8][9][10][11] Smith joined Mihaly during the installation of the "Fallsoleuum" in 2005.[12]

Art

Sculpture

Mihaly's sculptural work includes angels,[13][14] gargoyles,[6][15] an elaborate gothic mausoleum,[16] and four tractor-trailer loads of stonework that he carved for a miniature Renaissance villa.[1][2]

Mihaly's collection of gargoyles from popular town and gown characters of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are on top of the restaurant, Top of the Hill, overlooking the central crossroads of Franklin and Columbia Streets.[15] Each gargoyle has UNC rams horns. The characters include athletes Mia Hamm, Michael Jordan, and Julius Peppers as well as the street's namesake, Ben Franklin.[15][17]

Client Elizabeth Edwards and her husband, Senator John Edwards, commissioned Mihaly to carve the headstone of their deceased son, Wade, out of a 24,000 pound block of Vermont marble.[1][13] Edwards was "enchanted and confused" by the "weird and wonderful" artist, yet felt the sculpture of an angel caressing her child was "extraordinary".[13] The 10-foot (3.0 m) tall monument is in Raleigh's Historic Oakwood Cemetery.[18] Mihaly also designed the monument in Historic Oakwood Cemetery for Edwards after her death in 2010 from breast cancer.[19]

Conceptual art

During the March 7, 2009 opening of Mihaly's Duke University solo exhibit at the Louise Jones Brown Gallery, A Pantheon of Modern Gods: An Anthropological Expedition into Corridors of Power, Mihaly paced the gallery, lecturing with a small sculpture entitled Cherub cradled in his arms, in front of visitors.[20] All the works in the exhibition were accompanied by quotations.[21]

The Gallery manager Rachel Pea described the art as "edgy" and "one of the more in-your-face sort of exhibits" since it challenges the viewer's ideas on the fabric of society: war, politics, money and religion.[22]

Mihaly's work "conveys illuminating social commentary" about "frightening political possibilities".[21] The Goddess of Eugenics is an oil on linen replication of Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, except Venus's body is pierced with bullet holes and dripping authentic blood.[21] The Zephyrs blow symbols of radiation and biohazard waste rather than the west wind.[21] Mihaly's description of the painting alludes to intricate plots by world leaders to cleanse the population.[21]

Castle Mont Rouge in the snow, Rougemont, North Carolina

Architecture

Mihaly's former part-time country estate and studio is called Castle Mont Rouge.[2][23] The castle, located on Red Mountain in Rougemont, North Carolina, features onion domes like Eastern Orthodox churches and oxidized copper cupolas.[16][24]

Much rumor and lore has been built around the castle and its creator, Robert Mihaly.[8][9][10][11][25] Mihaly referenced the rumor about the death of his wife in a televised news story, acknowledging that he is not a widower. [8][9][10][11]

References
  1. Wall Street Journal, September 29, 1997. pg. A.1
  2. The Durham News (N&O), A Castle Takes Shape in Rougemont, Elizabeth Shestak, Nov 3–4, 2007. pg. A.1
  3. Wall Street Journal, "North Carolina Freshman Wins Entrepreneur Contest," February 23, 1988, p. 1
  4. Bill Miller, "Carved In Controversy; Cathedral Wins Battle With Artist, Washington Post, 2 October 1997
  5. "Cathedral didn't break contract with artist, judge holds in ruling", Wall Street Journal, October 2, 1997, p. C5
  6. "Duke donors want structures removed". Wilson Daily Times. November 9, 2002. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  7. "Athens Banner-Herald", Duke to take down gargoyles modeled after wealthy donors, by Aaron Beard, November 9, 2002.
  8. The News and Observer, "A castle? A Work of Art? Mont Rouge is a labor of love", Adrianne Cleven, 3 Nov 2019, 1D
  9. The Herald Sun, “Castle Mont Rouge in Rougemont is art oddity, labor of love”, Adrianne Cleven, 3 Nov 2019, 1A.
  10. The Roxboro Courier-Times, "Castle Mont Rouge offers Magic for Many", Cameron Beach, 31 Dec 2019, IA
  11. WRAL News, "A castle? A Work of Art? Mont Rouge is a labor of love", Amy Cockerham, 17 Nov 2019, https://www.wral.com/sculptor-hopes-to-turn-rougemont-castle-into-public-venue/18773398/?ref_id=18773343, accessed 13 Jan 2020
  12. News Herald, "Photographing The 'Fallsoleum'", Allen VanNoppen, 14 Aug 2005.
  13. Edwards,Elizabeth (September 2006). Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers. Broadway. ISBN 0-7679-2537-8.
  14. "Inside Oakdale, Watching Over Him Again, Summer, 2007 by Catherine Solomon and Eric Kozen" (PDF). Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  15. Chapel Hill News, "Targoyles", by Dave Hart, September 7, 2003. pg. C.1
  16. "Metro Magazine, Robert Mihaly: Renaissance Sculptor in Person County, August, 2005 by Diane Lea". Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  17. Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, "Holiday Window Display Winner", by Liz Parham , December 8, 2006.http://www.downtownchapelhill.com/pdfs/Window_Display_Winner_2006.pdf
  18. The Charlotte Observer, "Soaring Success, Crushing Loss" Anna Griffin, August 19, 2003
  19. "Oakwood monument connects Elizabeth Edwards, son :". WRAL.com. April 4, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  20. "Gods of Power and Greed Clash with Human Bones and Depleted Uranium at Duke Art Show". artdaily.com. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  21. Claire Finch, "Mihaly offers send-up of modern idolatry in sculpture, paintings" The Duke Chronicle, Paintings, March 26, 2009
  22. News and Observer, Artist Gives an Edge to His Study of Power, March 8, 2009 by Elizabeth Shestak
  23. Rougemont Reporter, Castle Mont Rouge, Summer, 2006, P.10
  24. This Month at Duke, A Secret Spot, by Sally Hicks, August 2007, cover story
  25. https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/north-carolina/castle-mont-rouge-nc/
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