Concrete Works

Burgess did try using concrete mix to make some pieces. His signature choice was, of course, the native Mississippi mud which he dug from pits behind his house. Someone had suggested that he make the pieces of something more permanent, so he tried concrete for a brief time. He told me he never liked working with it because it "tore my hands slam up...that stuff tuk the hide right offen my hands...boy it's some rough stuff"...he didn't wear any gloves or protection and the harshness of the concrete never suited him...he would dabble occasionally with it, but always returned to what he knew best, the soft cool mud.

These two photos were taken in the mid to late 1980's and feature a large concrete figure which is now in a private collection.