Miranda Munguia
If you happened to be walking along South Grand near Ritz Park last March, it’s likely that you saw a 6-foot duck, constructed entirely of cardboard, perched on the sidewalk for a few days before succumbing to the elements. The sculpture, titled Carl, was the work of Justin King, a local artist who specializes in large-scale cardboard structures.
“The duck was kind of a turning point for me and my work,” he says. “It got a lot of attention, and while it didn’t last long, because of the snow, it helped spread the word about what I do.”
Since then, King has been commissioned to create more of his unique sculptures, as well as an underwater-themed miniature golf hole—complete with a life-size scuba diver and 20-foot-long octopus—for this summer’s “Golf the Galleries” at The Sheldon.
What is the process of making a gigantic cardboard octopus? I usually start with a sketch and then get right to constructing [the piece]. In the beginning, my cardboard sculptures were made only out of cardboard, but as the forms have gotten bigger and heavier, I’ll make a frame with plywood before covering it with cardboard. Then I use box cutters—I go through a lot of blades—and a hot-glue gun. It’s not the type that you see at a craft store, but one that’s a little more industrial.
Miranda Munguia
What are some of the pros and cons of using cardboard as a medium? Cardboard is cheap and accessible. Plus, it’s very forgiving. If I make a mistake, I can take it apart and start again, which can’t be said about carving stone, for example. On the other hand, heat and water are my nemeses. My sculptures can’t live outside. Obviously, moisture is very bad. And if a sculpture is put right in front of a hot window or a store front, heat from the sun could melt the glue. I have to be careful about where my sculptures are placed.
Where do you get all this cardboard? The crazy thing is that in almost two years of making these sculptures, I haven’t purchased a single piece of cardboard. People are always contacting me when they have spare boxes lying around and I’m lucky enough to have a family friend in the furniture business. I get a lot of leftover cardboard.
Who are some of the artists who inspire you? Two artists were pretty influential to my career. One was St. Louis artist Abraham Mohler. He is a stone and bronze sculptor who does amazing work. I took a class from him, years ago, where I learned how to do traditional stone sculpting. I loved it, but it is a tough material to work with. It’s cost-prohibitive, and the process is loud and messy. Then, a friend introduced me to the work of Montreal-based artist Laurence Vallières. The things she does with cardboard are unreal and inspired me to think bigger.
Can we buy your sculptures for our homes, or do you only do commercial work? Businesses love my sculptures, because oftentimes they have branded boxes that I can use to create their piece. I recently did a commission for Mile Wide Beer Co., in Louisville. I created a character off of one of their beer cans, and now it’s on display in their offices. But for residential customers, my animal busts are more popular, because they’re smaller and can hang on a wall.
