Tuesday, September 7, 2010

My Funny Relationship...

...with bronze.

For the past ten years I have felt that I was heading toward the material and techniques of bronze casting. I knew this as I was working in plastics,wood, steel, etc.

I first had exposure to the processes and material in 1990 while studying at the university of Alabama. I didn't do much of my own bronze work there but I was an active participant in pouring other's work.

For the past 10 years I have known that the time was not right. Cast bronze has very few form limitations. I wasn't ready for something so wide open.

Working in "sheet materials" like those listed above have certain limitations and rules. Working with and mastering these rules were part of a process that led me to be able to work in bronze. The aestetic language that I have developed in my practice came from a hard set of boundaries and processes. Now that I have transitioned into cast bronze I carry the history of my practice and techniques with me. Although I am working with a new and very open material I am staying true to the tradition that I have developed.

So why use bronze? I enjoy the material for its ability to stand up over time without changing much. As an artist one needs to consider the longevity of a work and with steel particularly, there are only so many things that can be done to hold the processes of time and oxidation at bay.

Another nice feature of bronze is working in wax. One thing that sets my work apart from most other bronze artists is tha fact that I create the form and do a direct casting of it without making a mold. This means that each sculpture is unique. Most other people working in bronze make a mold of the original that allows them to creat a series of identical sculptures. You often will see bronzes as part of a series. I might move to doing a series at some point but for the moment it feels good to work just in originals.

I am doing the wax work in my studio. once it is ready to go I take it to the Maiden Foundry for casting and finish work. Mike Maiden and his technicians Chad and Tony Congi are a blast to work with and professionals through and through. The Maiden Ofundry is located in Sandy Oregon.

If you are interested in learning more about the lost wax method there is a video here produced by a foundry in Isreal called A&P casting. The video takes one through the process of Lost Wax casting.

No comments: