Work in Bronze

My first work as an artist, beginning in 1961, was in ceramics, and I see a direct link between my  experience with clay and my more recent interest in bronze. It is a kinship that spans a period of almost 50 years.  Like ceramics, bronze is a plastic medium that begins with molding, depends on fire—kiln and foundry–and is subject to its unpredictability. No matter how carefully calculated the process, the result is never guaranteed.

These pieces were made using the traditional lost wax method. In the case of the platters and vessels, this involves a wax positive and a plaster investment that is destroyed in the process of casting. The fruits and vegetables are life-cast, also resulting in the loss of the mold. As a result, each of the bronzes is unique, one-of-a-kind.

The world below were all cast in the Anza Borrego desert where I built a  studio, kiln, and foundry (see news posts for process information and pictures), and where I worked for 30 years. The bowls and vessels range from 6 to 12 inches in height, the platters from 12 to 18 inches in diameter. The fruits and vegetables are life-size.