Clay to Concrete
The Evolution of
Buddy Rhodes
Concrete craftsman Buddy Rhodes goes national with his cutting-edge concrete mix.
By Jim Peterson
What do pottery and concrete have in common? Not much, unless you're Buddy Rhodes. For the man considered to be the father of the concrete countertop, pottery was an open window into a new, creative world.
The foundation of Rhodes' work was laid when he was a student at Alfred University in New York, a school that boasts such noted alums as actor Robert Klein, travel writer Peter Jenkins and spy novelist Robert Littell. Studying pottery and considering himself to be a functional potter, Rhodes was selling his wares at craft fairs with moderate success. At this point it would have been hard to predict that he would go on to have his concrete work showcased in the nation's top home and design publications, including Architectural Digest, Home, Metropolitan Home, Kitchen and Bath, Sunset, Fine Homebuilding, Luxury Kitchens and Baths, Beautiful Baths and Home Remodeling. Art of the Mix
Back then, Rhodes dreamed of creating bigger, yet functional, pieces. Fully aware of the limitations of clay (shrinkage, glazing issues, etc.), Rhodes embarked on a journey that led him to concrete. He soon discovered that concrete bag mixes contained larger rocks that made the material hard to manipulate. Wanting it to be more malleable, like clay, Rhodes set to work experimenting with his own mixes until he struck gold.
Rhodes created a concrete mix composed entirely of cement, sand and binders, and reinforced with an expanded galvanized steel diamond mesh. This new concrete mix could be hand-packed into molds of different sizes and shapes. And once removed from the mold, different surface characteristics could be produced with a trowel.
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