Bringing Old World and New World Together
Large and Small Breakthroughs
When I created Chief Friday, I wanted two sizes: a monumental size and a smaller, collector size. I sculpted them--side-by-side--with nothing more than a pair of calipers. I enjoyed this process immensely; however, it took a lot of time and effort.
Chief Fridays connected by a set of calipers
I have since discovered a different way to get the same result-- by bringing old world processes and new world technology together.
My creative process culminates with the sculpted clay original. The remaining steps in the bronze production process are necessary to reproduce the original sculpture in a bronze casting.
Old World Process
The bronze production process I use has been around for a long time. It is known as the lost wax or cire-perdue method and there is evidence of its use since the 3rd millennium BCE.
Here’s the process. I have a mold made of my original clay sculpture. Then a wax version is produced from the mold. At the foundry, they encase the wax in a ceramic shell (that can withstand the hot bronze). They then melt the wax out (cire-perdue), pour molten bronze into the shell. After the bronze cools, the ceramic shell is broken off. This bronze piece is now ready for some welding, metal chasing and patina.
New World Technology
Enter digital photography and 3-D printing. Now, when I want different sizes for my sculptures, I plan to use new world technologies. I have my original sculpture scanned, giving me a digital file. I can create bigger or smaller versions of my sculpture with this one digital file by 3-D printing a new replica of the original.
Digital image of Breakthrough
The original Breakthrough sculpture was about 17 inches tall. This was a really good size for the actual process of sculpting. Not too big and not too small. I could move it around to set the gesture. It was not too heavy to manage and not too small to where it would be difficult to get into the tiny spaces.
Clay original
I later decided to make the Breakthrough sculpture into a smaller size. I felt that this smaller piece would appeal to more collectors. The amazing thing about this one digital file is that I could go bigger too…how about 12 feet tall?
I cast the old calipers aside and had the original scanned. Using the digital file, I had a smaller replica 3-D printed in a polymer resin. I had a mold made of the replica and sent the mold off to the foundry. They produced a wax version which went through the cire-perdue process to produce the final bronze edition.
Large Breakthrough--3D printed polymer--mold--small Breakthrough
Although there are still challenges with 3D printing, this technology has opened up a huge new landscape for sculptors. There are new opportunities for detailed, small-sized sculptures—too small for fingers or even tools to create. And new opportunities to save time, effort and expense on larger monumental sculptures.
This blending of new and old gives me the best of both worlds. I can respond to specific needs of collectors—either to fit a particular setting or to reduce the cost. If someone wants a 12-foot bronze Trojan horse, I just run the numbers and set things in motion. In the case of the smaller Breakthrough sculpture, it reduces the price by 50%. This is a great outcome expanding the options for collectors of all sizes.
Visit my website for available editions. www.kerrartworks.com
