Concrete Wisconsin

I'm slowly working my way through Wisconsin's list of outsider artists/environment builders. On a chilly November day, I finally found my way to Fred Smith's Wisconsin Concrete Park, which is located in Phillips (pretty far north in central Wisconsin).


Smith was an illiterate lumberjack. When he retired in 1948, he learned how to cast concrete and spent the next 15 years creating over 200 statues around his home.


His people are generally male, with a few notable exceptions, such as Mary Todd Lincoln, Sacagewa, and the Statue of Liberty.


The majority of the statues are clustered in one field. There are so many to look at, and it was so cold, I'm afraid I didn't do them justice.


I especially liked this extra-tall, austere man who was in a more wooded area behind the front field. Checking the self-guided tour sheet, I just realized it's Sun Yat-sen.


Aside from concrete, Smith mostly limited himself to glass bottles. There are some pieces with shells, too.


Animals were probably his favorite subjects. There are many horses and deer, as well as some cows.


This is probably my favorite piece in the park. I believe it's part of one called "Lion, Tiger, Angora Cat," although I'm not sure which of those three this creature might be. I just love its human face with its formal mustache.