Giving life to metal

Creating a bronze sculpture is a delicate and meticulous process, is like observing a human being growing from childhood to adulthood.

There are two main methods very similar to each other. The technique selection depends on the sculpture details and what the artist wants to transmit because when you have the opportunity to explore inside the world of the fine art sculpture you are exposing yourself to the passionate point of view of a person who is seeing the world in his own way. Let’s have a quick view of both techniques.

In the first one a clay block is shaped into a basic form, then this model is refined by the artist hands and a selection of tools, parting lines are drawn in the still soft clay model and metal pieces are inserted along these lines to create sections in the model that will be the basis of the second model made with plaster. Plaster powder and water are combined and layered directly but carefully over each section of the clay model, once the plaster is dry the metal dividers are meticulously removed and with the help of chisel, the different sections are separated from the mold carving through the lines left by the metal dividers. The inner surface of the plaster pieces is cleaned and lubricated with soap oil and reassembled together creating a mold with a hole through which the liquid bronze will be poured. Once the metal is cold the mold is opened and generally broken; at this point the sculpture is rough and with many imperfections and ready for the finishing process. The artwork will be filled, polished and sometimes colored with the help of some chemicals or just adding heat directly to the piece with a blowtorch.

The second method is called lost wax casting. It is a very delicate process and is used in jewelry and in small/medium size sculpture. The First step is the realization of a wax sculpture, once this piece is finished is divided into sections, each section placed in a clay bed and a thick plaster mold is build up around it, then these sections are assembled creating a plaster mold and the hot wax is poured into it creating a second and even more detailed version of the piece, a mixture of sand and plaster fills the model creating a solid core. Wax rods or bars are attached in different parts of the piece to form channels that will help the liquid bronze to circulate and avoid air bubbles due to the gases expelled by the hot metal, some pins are used to hold the plaster core in place. When all this preparation is ready the piece is placed into a container and filled with more plaster or a mold of plaster is created layer by layer around the wax model. Regardless of the method used, once the plaster is dry, the piece goes to a kiln to melt the wax that flows out thanks to a funnel made. At his point, all the wax areas are empty and ready for the bronze to be poured. The artist poured the liquid metal and once is cold the mold is opened. The figure and the channels are all in bronze, now the channels and the pins are removed, and the artwork is ready to be finished.

Now we invite you to explore inside the marvelous sculpture world and think about the complexity of it and how ancient civilizations worked the metal during the bronze age …… think what Balzac meant to Auguste Rodin and what inspired him to do the sculpture or what Edvard Ericksen wanted to transmit with his Little Mermaid at the Langelinie Promenade in Copenhagen or what did Degas saw in the Belgian young dancer Marie Van Goethem that inspired him to create The Little Fourteen-Year-Old-Dancer…..just to mention three of the most known bronze sculptures in the world ……. or simply imagine how Joan and Tommy felt during their fly and the happiness of Lorenzo with his jump rope in the family garden or what he is asking her in their romantic Chat…….