Gigantopithecus (1987)

Permanent installation outdoor sculpture Hartwick College, Oneonta N.Y.
welded steel, cast bronze
Kevin M. Andersen, sculptor
I'm honored to have this BIG METAL BEAST installed on the campus of Hartwick College where I know an endless number of people can experience it. Hartwick College is a small Liberal Arts College in Oneonta, New York with a student population of about 1,500 students.
Gigantopithecus was a rival of Homo Erectus and lived during the Pleistocene Epoch, 1.8 million to 100,000 years ago. The body and teeth of Gigantopithecus resembled a gorilla but it stood nine feet tall and weighed 600 lbs.
Gigantopithecus became extinct around 300,000 years ago, but Chinese scientists believe that some form of the beast exists as the so-called Yeti, or Abominable Snowman.
Others believe another form of Gigantopithecus exists in the Northwest United States and is called Bigfoot. It is theorized that the predecessor of man (homo erectus) preyed on Gigantopithecus.

The sculpture is intended to show the physical relationship of humans to the larger primate by encouraging people to get close and experience what it might have been like to come face-to-face with Gigantopithecus.
"A confrontation with this big beast will certainly humble any human."
Gigantopithecus: Wide Shot
The critical moment of pouring molten bronze into the face mold in April, 1987.
Foundry pictured is located at Hartwick College, Oneonta, N. Y.