You are here:

Sculpture/bronze-like sculpture

Advertisement

Expert: Matt Ramieri - 5/30/2009


Question

bronze?cherubs
Hi, and thank you for your time.
This small sculpture looks like bronze, but where there is a small chip on the bottom, it appears gray.  It is approximately 4' in diameter, and 4' in depth, a "pot" encircled by four cherubs. It has all the little tool-marks as if it were carved-out from a lump of clay.  There is a small "A" near the base, the artist's mark, I'm guessing.  What, if not bronze, might it be made of? It seems kind of metallic.  Is it  some mass-produced object, or a handmade piece?  It looks much better than somebody's high school art project. Thanks again for your time, and any information you might be able to pass along.  Best regards

Answer
Hello Drew.  

It definitely sounds like something other then bronze, due to the gray chip.  Determining what it actually is is impossible without seeing it in person and feeling it.  If it is very heavy for it's size, it might be iron or pot metal painted to look like bronze.  If it is lighter, it is most likely resin, plastic, or plaster of some kind... primed and painted to look bronze.  These types of things are very prevalent.  They are similar to bronze in the sense that they start life as a clay sculpture (which accounts for the marks that look like they were made in clay), then they are molded and cast in whatever material the creator desires.  There are many "faux bronze" sculptures out there because bronze sculptures are very attractive, but the average person does not have the means or desire to spend the money that a bronze sculpture commands.  These "alternatives" look tremendously similar to bronze while sitting on a shelf somewhere, and only show their true nature when you get up close and personal with the piece.  Of course they are much lighter, and their surface treatment lacks the subtle translucency of a well-patinated bronze sculpture.  It is most likely a mass produced item, although it is possible that an artist created it for personal use or for sale.  Any of the above materials could have been used by an artist for the same purposes...to make a sculpture which looks like bronze, but is much cheaper to make.  


Take care,

Matt

Matt Ramieri

Expertise

I can answer questions in reference to bronze casting (the lost wax process & copper alloys) & finishing. I can also answer questions about sculpture in general including: armature building, clay construction (plastalines and oil-based clays), fabrication, TIG arc welding (including aluminum), metal chasing and finishing, patination, and wax sculpture construction (including modeling waxes, casting waxes, and sprue waxes). I also have a limited knowledge of copyright law as it pertains to the fine art maker and his/her work. I do not claim to have any particular knowledge in the fields of bronze art antiquities and their values, or the value of work created by specific artists or their processes.

Experience

I have been working with bronze for over a decade and a half. I studied the lost wax process in college, went on to study the art abroad in Cortona Italy, and continued as an apprentice at the Johnson Atelier in Trenton, NJ. My love for the medium carried me on to take it up professionally. Now, I produce my bronze work and the work of others with my own company: "Inspired Bronze Inc".

Organizations
Inspired Bronze, Fine Art America

Education/Credentials
Graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor degree of Fine Arts (BFA) from the University of Hartford Art School University of Georgia Studies Abroad Program graduate: Cortona, Italy Johnson Atelier School of Sculpture apprentice program graduate: 1st Class Apprentice

Awards and Honors
Charles Salsbury Award (artistic excellence) "Mostra" exhibit-Cortona, Italy, Orlando Museum of Art-1st Thursdays exhibit, exhibited in AIDS benefit show ‘97, '98, 3rd place in ArtWorks Gallery juried exhibiton ‘99, University of Hartford Grant recipient for four years

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.