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1986
cast bronze
24 x 24 x 11.5 feet
Dedicated on October 16, 1986, Monument to Joe Louis was commissioned by Time Inc. for the City of Detroit to honor Joe Louis.
The monument is a 24-foot long arm and fist held in balanced suspension from a pyramidal support of bronze poles. Weighing approximately 8,000 lb., it rises 24 feet above a major downtown intersection.
The initial arm was modeled in clay at 14 inches in length. With the aid of a computer, a full-scale steel armature, 24 feet in length, was made and wrapped with wire and covered with clay. The final clay model was divided into eight sections and cast in bronze, then assembled. The pyramid structure was fabricated out of steel, and faced with bronze plates. A tribute to Joe Louis is inscribed on the arm. All work on this project was completed at Robert Graham Studio in Venice, California.
Monument to Joe Louis is installed at Jefferson Avenue at Woodward, Detroit, Michigan.
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