Sculpture Source

Sculpturesite's Booth at LA Art Show

Can you really distinguish yourself when you are but one of 110 galleries in a show of over 15,000 works of art from a myriad of genres including painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography and video?  Is it possible to stand out in a crowd of an estimated 35,000 serious collectors and dedicated art enthusiast all buzzing around a 720,000 sq/ft convention center?  Sculpturesite Gallery answered those questions at the FADA LA Art Show with a resounding – yes, you can!

The event started inauspiciously with rain, rain and more rain.  On average, the sun shines on Los Angeles 338 days a year. Sunny Southern California did not, at first, live up to its promise.  However, while it tended to dampen a few heads and shoulders it could not dampen the enthusiasm of the thousands who attended.  And when the flood of water finally receded on Saturday, the flood of people arrived.  John Denning and Brigitte Micmacker, the owners of Sculpturesite, were more than ready to receive them.

Word spread quickly.  There was a booth near the food court, open at three sides, perfect for foot traffic, which was meticulously planned and presented.  It looked more like a gallery than a booth.  In conversational circles of attendees, Sculpturesite’s space was called “the best booth for sculpture,” and while there, you could see “the best works in the entire show.”  Said another attendee: “your booth is such a breath of fresh air – so lively and light.” It was obviously attracting attention.

“Dark Blue Rain-Curtain”, a massive, yet delicate cast glass piece by Mary Shaffer and “Summer”, a hyper-realistic swimmer resting on an inner-tube (both in meticulously painted resin) by Carole Feuerman were described by many as show stoppers.  The same could be said for the majestic Jeffery Laudenslager kinetic piece, “Hokusai.”  It had a prominent place in the middle of the food court -but will soon relocate to its new permanent home in Malibu.  The rest of the collection was wonderfully varied allowing something for everyone.  Jane Woolverton’s delicate recycled, plastic tapestries played off the monumental material and feel of Benjamin Brown’s steel and glass and Hans Van de Bovenkamp’s bronze.  Brad Howe’s playful mobiles stood in perfect contrast to the elegant pieces of Clement Meadmore.  These sculptures did speak for themselves but for those who wanted more, Mary Shaffer, Carole Feuerman, Jeffery Laudenslager, Brad Howe, Benjamin Brown and John Denning were all present to talk about their work.

All who attended had a memorable experience.  We at Sculpturesite greatly appreciate all who attended. If you would like more information on any of the works or artists you saw, please let us know. If you were unable to see the show, we will be glad to send more photos. And please stop by Sculpturesite Gallery.  Many of the pieces that we displayed at the LA Art Show are now currently on exhibition in San Francisco.  We will see you soon!

Detail of "Grieving," by Jerry Ross Barrish

We participate in consumption – the satisfaction of wants resulting chiefly in destruction, deterioration, or transformation.  The objects we create experience consumption – the progressive wasting away of the body. It is an efficiently detached relationship.  Whatever emotional connection, if any, to our belongings we have, eventually they lose their hold on our attention and we consign them to landfills or the depths of the sea.  We have little time for empathy when ephemerality is the standard.  But some of these castaways are resilient.  They push against our enmity.  They resurface or wash ashore.

This is when Jerry Ross Barrish finds them and breaths life into the inanimate. This is not creation ex nihilo but creation ex vetus adveho novus – out of the old comes the new.  They combine and reconstitute into more than the sum of their plastic parts while still maintaining the markings and scars of their former life.  Bent, distorted industrial drainage tubes, series 73681-82000, become a subtle set of controposto hips and legs.  “Made in Mexico” containers transform into a hunched torso. The curve of a misused snorkel creates a cradling arm and hand.  A cratered and scuffed toy ball marked “Supper Tuff” is a makeshift, downcast, mournful head.  Refuse - discarded, unwanted, isolated – reconstitutes itself through anthropomorphic redemption.  But this is not all.  Barrish has one more act of transformation and transcendence.  As if in defiance for the once consumed, he has cast several of these assembled detritus into bronze.  Ephemerality is now corporealized.  Ironically, decay is permanently preserved. Long after the consumers themselves have passed away through consumption, those who were once the objects of consumption will live on.

Through this multi-layered transformation, Barrish requires a reconsideration of human empathy.  His objects of castaway materials take on the form and likeness of those who have discarded them.  But they are more than human in form.  They are also human in substance.  Feeling. Emotive. Empathetic.  Despite their lowly genesis, they have transcended their own fleeting material by communicating the very thing that was originally denied them.  They have the last laugh.  Yet, these do not seem to have the disposition of vengeful irony.  They remember their humble history.  They do not gloat.  They look back on us and give in the face of thoughtless waste.  They were treated apathetically yet they reveal what can be of highest nobility - emotion. Joy. Sorrow. Play. Contemplation. The desirable attributes of the consumer have been mastered by the consumed.  Roles have reversed.

Curt Brill: "Julie", bronze sculpture

Bronze is a popular metal for cast metal indoor or outdoor sculptures. It is an alloy, or a metal created by the combination of other metals, with a minimum of 90% copper for quality bronze sculptures and statues in the United States. Some common bronze alloys expand slightly just before they set, making them desirable for intricate sculptures because they can fill the finest details of a mold. A chemical patina is applied to give the final finish and color to the bronze, and it is the patina that needs to be maintained, as the metal itself will last thousands of years.

Outdoor bronze sculptures hold up well and are easy to care for. A bronze sculpture is usually protected by a coat of wax, which is applied when the metal is still warm so it can seep into the pores and act as a barrier to air and humidity. This helps keep the bronze from oxidizing and keeps it looking new longer. An outdoor sculpture that has fallen victim to bird waste and other debris can be cleaned with a bucket of mild soap and water. Too much soap can leave a residue that can be difficult to rinse, so use just enough soap to create bubbles.  Steer clear of exotic oils and cleansers, as they can remove the patina and alter the look of the sculpture. An old toothbrush can be used to scrub dirt out of the sculpture’s nooks and crannies. Rinse the sculpture with clear water after cleaning, and then allow it to dry completely before applying a coat of clear paste wax (formulas that contain a high concentration of carnauba wax are best). Use a soft, lint-free rag to apply a light coat and let it dry to teh touch before buffing to the desired finish.  Do this on a warm, clear (but not too hot) day to allow the wax to dry before the next rainfall. Depending on the weather and the exposure, waxing is needed between once and three times a year. Don’t forget that indoor air also contains pollutants and humidity, so you will need to wax your indoor bronzes once avery two or three years.

Throughout time, sculptors have sought to produce works that are as permanent as possible, working with materials such as bronze and stone: marble, limestone, porphyry and granite as well as gold, silver and ivory. Less expensive materials are used as well for sculpture for wider consumption, including steel, glass, hardwoods, terracotta and other ceramics, plaster, and cast metals such as pewter, aluminum and zinc.

Some sculpture, often referred to as ephemeral, such as ice sculpture, sand sculpture, sculpture using sticks and leaves and gas sculpture is, by design, short-lived. Many sculptors seek new ways and materials to make art.  After Marcel Duchamp exhibited a urinal (one of his most famous “ready-mades”) in 1917 at a New York salon, everyday objects became accepted materials for sculpture.

With the advent of new technologies, many different materials are now used in sculpture, sometimes in conjunction with each other, in what is called Mixed Media or, for the works including video or sound, New Media. Yet, sculptors are also still using cast bronze and terracotta, in much the same way as they have for millennia. Today, when selecting a material for a sculpture, collectors have to take into consideration longevity, maintenance issues, but also desired effect and location (an outdoor sculpture in Canada does not allow as many possibilities for material as an indoor piece in a dry, temperate climate.)