Breaktime – Comical Architecture + Sculpture

I thought that with the release of the new Yogi Bear movie, I’d publish this post for a little twist. The Longaberger Company manufactures handcrafted lifestyle products like wooden baskets and fabric products. A perfect symbol of their hard work can be seen even before you enter their building’s lobby floor. Shaped like a huge picnic basket, their headquarters in Newark, Ohio is a prime example of sculptural application in architecture. There are many examples of large-scale sculptures all over the world by commercial or private artists.

I heard that an advertisement for an Adidas football product was done recreating a football field on an elevated billboard. two players would hang by their sides and play a game of football in side-ways gravity. These types of sculptural applications can be very insightful and lend a smile to you daily dose of sights. It’s a good change from the regular ugly paraphernalia of marketing gurus and sales agents. Embodying what you do through the craft of sculpture is really admirable and a good contribution to the creative influence of others.

When sculpture intertwines with everyday life, that’s when it’s most appreciated. Sculptors and artists take pride in what they do, and what better fulfillment than having people use and live in your artworks. These days, the bar is set higher and higher for creative innovation. Where will our ideas take us in ten or twenty years? I propose holographic sculptures.

Peter Reginato

Abstract sculptor Peter Reginato is famous for putting the randomness of abstract expressionism into his many multi-dimension works. He began his journey into abstract sculpture in the 1960’s and moved to New York from his stay at the San Fransisco Art Institute. His devotion and time spent with the craft landed him the opportunity to be invited to several group shows in prestigous places like the Park Place Gallery in NY. Later on in his career, Reginato was represented by the Tibor de Nagy Gallery.

Little Mo Sculpture by Peter Reginato, Photography by the artist (2006)

His bold sculptures deeply resemble the paintings of abstraction that spread out in a burst of contours and color. For one to create a 3D version of that effect is a task that Reginato had spent several years to perfect. Reginato’s works contained shaped elements ranging from spirals to springs and blobs to figures. His diversity in composition was utterly astounding with every individual work.

Reginato had a two man partner show entitled “Color-Coded” with Ronnie Landfield in 2005 at the Heidi Cho Gallery in Chelsea. In 2007 though he had is own one-man show at the same gallery. The sculpture exhibition was comprised of his welded stainless steel sculptures and was entitled “Low Maintenance” maybe because these works were unpainted and left bare in their natural metallic state. Reginato’s passion for the steel collages is a deeply admirable one. His hobby turned into his career and he is one of the lucky people in the world that loves what he does.

Cast Sculpture and Carved Sculpture: The Difference

What makes casting sculpture different from carving it? Well, first off the two make use of entirely different processes. Casting involves more of a chemical knowledge base, while carving requires a knowledge about tools and practical usage. For this article let us take a look at the opposing aspects, advantages and disadvantages of using these two methodologies.

Cast sculpture usually involves a series of liquid and powdered ingredients as well as a negative mould. The process is more complicated in theory, but much simpler in real-time. Casting resin usually starts from an original design, whether made in clay or copied from an existing model, a design must be able to be durable enough to withstand the moulding process. For resin casting, either plaster or silicone is pasted onto the model to replicate a negative side of it quite accurately. The mould is then set to dry for later. Before the casting, resin powder and other ingredients must be measured. Release wax must also be applied to the mould ends. Then a mixture of the casting investment is then poured into the mould and set to dry. When it has dried, the mould is either separated or chipped away to reveal the sculpture inside. Furnishing, painting and buffing then follow to finally complete the sculpture.

Carving sculpture on the other hand is much more simpler in theory but tedious in real-time. A sculptor usually makes use of a set of power tools, a water jet, and a hammer and chisel set. The process basically entails chipping away at a hard natural material such as alabaster, nephrite, or metamorphic rocks with beautiful raw color and patterns. The finished sculpture is then cleaned and buffed to bring out its natural tones.

Carved sculpture has natural colors while cast sculpture makes use of industrial paints, however cast sculpture can maintain a variety of curvaceous or liquid forms that would be hard to recreate in carved stone. Another aspect of comparison could be durability. Some people say that carved sculptures hold the natural durability of their stones while the lasting strength of cast sculpture depends mainly on the composition of the materials mixed into the investment. Cast sculpture also makes it easier for artists to create sculptural designs with better ease.

All in all there are many trade-offs to choosing either methodology, but both have their own uniqueness in the world of fine sculpture.

Collecting Sculptures Today

As we have just passed the turn of the century, human art has become more curious than it has ever been before. Not only did criteria for beauty elevate itself beyond the visual, but it has gone and permeated many of the other senses as well. Thee days the words “sound sculpture” or “water sculpture” are fairly common among the lingo of art curators and gallery owners. New methodologies and novelties make buying art an even more exciting, yet more risky adventure for the newcomer.

Contemporary modernism seems to be the top-runner these days when it comes to genre-oriented art fame. Though old masters of realism and naturalism still conquer much of the high class markets due to their generation-friendly themes and output.

You may feel a hint of confusion when dealing with a gallery for the first time, especially if the gallery handles more than a handful of new artists every month. What you should always remember is to ask about the artist involved with the work you’re buying. Take into consideration his or her age in comparison with the workmanship being shown, as well as how striking each element in the piece matches your own taste. A common inquiry by new collectors is the question of the artist’s history, awards and past exhibitions- these would be the usual criteria for a successful ‘investment’ as these days many buyer of art prefer to keep their monetary value over giving drive to their personal taste for beauty.

Depending on your reason for buying art, the criteria for judgment and selection can vary, but the truest experience comes from learning the ropes yourself and deciding for yourself. You could go for a piece that touches your heart, or one that would look great with the happy home you’ve built for your family. You could also go for the strange oddity that climbs the price ladder each and every year, hoping that it could double your investment by 2012. There are indeed many ways to look at this. Art and sculpture buying is a very fickle topic and can sway with the times. What won’t sway however, is the legacy that a serious artist leaves, because if an artist or sculptor is truly bent on creating a fine career our of that beautiful artpiece you’ve just seen in the gallery, then he will make it a point to show you. Be it in exhibits, or the news, or the internet. Prominence is always one way of knowing that despite everything you’ve made a true and good choice in purchasing your artwork. This goes hand in hand with visual consistency as well. Always keep a look out for your artist’s works and don’t be afraid to email him or her if you have an inquiry. Artists are among some of the friendliest people I have met, and I do not think that’s going to change anytime soon.