Sculpture "Unicorn" (2015), bronze version partially gold-plated
Sculpture "Unicorn" (2015), bronze version partially gold-plated
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ars mundi Exclusive Edition | limited, 49 copies | numbered | signed | foundry stamp | edition in bronze | patinated | polished | partially gold-plated | size 36 x 40 x 12 cm (h/w/d)
Detailed description
Sculpture "Unicorn" (2015), bronze version partially gold-plated
A motif that could not be more typical of Fantastic Realism, and at the same time a reverence to the history of art: Askew's unicorn is unmistakably similar in shape and pose to the famous horse depictions of Leonardo da Vinci and Theodore Gericault.
Edition in bronze, cast using the Lost-Wax-Process. Patinated and polished by hand. Partially gold-plated with 24-carat. Numbered, signed and hallmarked with the foundry stamp. Size 36 x 40 x 12 cm (h/w/d). Limited ars mundi Exclusive Edition of 49 copies.
Producer: ars mundi Edition Max Büchner GmbH, Bödekerstraße 13, 30161 Hanover, Germany Email: info@arsmundi.de
About Joseph F. Askew
The American painter and sculptor Joseph F. Askew set out in the mid-70s as a barely 25-year-old student at the Art Students League in New York to Vienna to learn the painting techniques of the old masters from the grandmaster of Fantastic Realism, Ernst Fuchs. Askew and Fuchs remained friends and even became long-time neighbours because Askew lived in Vienna for more than a decade and later moved - as did Fuchs - to the small artists' village of Castillon on the Riviera, where he still lives and works today.
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.
Graphic or sculpture edition that was initiated by ars mundi and is available only at ars mundi or at distribution partners licensed by ars mundi.
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.
A plastic work of sculptural art made of wood, stone, ivory, bronze or other metals.
While sculptures made of wood, ivory, or stone are carved directly from the material block, in bronze casting, a working model is prepared at first. Usually, it is made of clay or other easily mouldable materials.
The prime time of sculpture after the Greek and Roman antiquity was the Renaissance. Impressionism gave a new impulse to the sculptural arts. Contemporary artists such as Jorg Immendorf, Andora, and Markus Lupertz also enriched sculptures with outstanding works.