Garden sculpture / gargoyle "Heron", bronze
Garden sculpture / gargoyle "Heron", bronze
Quick info
limited, 99 copies | numbered | signed | bronze | hand-chased and patinated | size 90 x 73 x 54 cm (h/w/d) | weight approx. 36 kg
Detailed description
Garden sculpture / gargoyle "Heron", bronze
One of the best-known works by Gustav Nonnenmacher, who died in 2012 at the age of 98, is a memorial in Worms, Germany to the victims of the world wars, which also documents his lifelong dealing with his own war experiences. But the artist also created works of admirable ease, such as the Winzerbrunnen - also in Worms - or fountain figures such as this heron, which is slightly abstracted into a spherical shape but nevertheless instantly recognisable.
Sculpture in bronze, cast in Lost-Wax-Process, chiselled and patinated by hand. Limited to 99 numbered and signed copies. Shipped without stone base and pump. Size 90 x 73 x 54 cm (h/w/d). Weight approx. 36 kg.
Producer: ars mundi Edition Max Büchner GmbH, Bödekerstraße 13, 30161 Hanover, Germany Email: info@arsmundi.de
An alloy of copper with other metals (especially with tin) used since ancient times. It is an ideal metal for high-quality artistic castings, capable of enduring for millennia.
When casting bronze, the artist usually applies the lost-wax technique which is dating back more than 5000 years. This is the best, but also the most complex method of producing sculptures.
First, the artist forms a model of their work. This model is embedded in a liquid silicone rubber mass. Once the material has solidified, the model is cut out, leaving a negative mould. Liquid wax is then poured into the negative mould. After cooling down, the wax cast is removed from the mould, provided with sprues and dipped into ceramic mass. The ceramic mass is hardened in a kiln, where the wax melts away (lost mould).
Finally, the negative mould is ready, into which the 1400° C hot molten bronze is poured. After the bronze had cooled down, the ceramic shell is broken apart, reavoling the sculpture.
Next, the sprues are removed, the surfaces are polished, patinated and numbered by the artist or by a specialist, following their instructions. Thus, each casting is an original work.
For lower-quality bronze castings, the sand casting method is often used, which, however, does not achieve the results of a more elaborate lost-wax technique in terms of surface characteristics and quality.
Term for an art object (sculpture, installation) that, according to the artist’s intention, is produced in multiple copies within a limited and numbered edition.
Multiples enable the "democratization" of art by making the work accessible and affordable for a wider audience.