Robert Chambers, Sugabus, 2004

bronze with patina

Sugabus’ colossal six tons of bronze arranged into 45 globes resemble a giant balloon sculpture poodle. Sugabus also represents the interlocking elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen found in sucrose. Chambers’ cuddly title, a mingling of “Sugar” and “Cerberus,” transforms the terror evoked by the mythological three-headed guard dog of Hades into a fluffy domesticated pet. Has Chambers made this scary creature into a loveable puffball through the association with a syrupy rush? The metamorphosis stirs together love for pets, elemental craving for sweets and legend into a whimsical alchemy of sculptural forms.

Laumeier Sculpture Park Commission with funds from the Mark Twain Laumeier Endowment Fund.

Location: South Lawn