Sculpture Source

You’ve browsed the Internet, visited several gallery websites and have located a piece of sculpture that you absolutely love. Problem is…you know nothing about the gallery selling the piece.

By asking yourself some questions to help gauge the overall quality and professionalism of the gallery, you’ll be more likely to enjoy a positive overall art-buying experience. Following are a few questions a potential online sculpture buyer may want to ponder:

Quality website
Is the gallery’s website well-organized and easy to navigate? Do pages load quickly, without errors? Is the content timely, without typos and out-of-date information? Are works displayed professionally with well-shot, high-quality images, multiple image views, dimensions, descriptive text, and pricing?

These are all signs of a professional gallery that takes its online business seriously. The gallery devotes staff time and resources into making the online experience easy and informative for the buyer.

Staff professionalism
Do gallery staff respond promptly, efficiently, and cheerfully to your emails and calls? This demonstrates the efficiency and organization of the gallery, and is a good indicator of whether the purchasing and shipping or delivery process will be smooth and worry-free.

Helpfulness and hard work
Do gallery staff provide detailed, complete answers to your questions? Are additional photos and information about the piece you’re interested in enthusiastically provided? Are staff willing to contact the artist directly to get clarification or more detailed information for you?

Extensive follow-up and personal assistance indicate a desire to ensure you have all the data required to make a thoughtful, educated purchase instead of an impulse buy that may be regretted later.

Mutual understanding and trust
Can gallery staff clearly articulate your needs and constraints, including your price range, time frame, desired style, and any concerns you have about art placement? Are other options in different price ranges presented for your consideration? Are staff knowledgeable about art, and genuinely enthusiastic about your inquiry? Do staff suggest sculpture offered by other venues which might also be of interest?

These are signs that the gallery is listening to what is important to you, and that your best interests and long-term satisfaction are being taken to heart.

To make a purchase you will be happy with over the long term when buying sight-unseen, you need to trust the gallery’s art knowledge, ability to understand and respond to your needs and finesse at “matching” the best piece of art with those needs.

Visit A New Leaf Gallery and Sculpturesite Gallery’s websites, or call and let us know how we can assist you in acquiring the perfect sculpture.

Often, visitors to A New Leaf Gallery are surprised to learn that many sculpture collectors are “window-shoppers,” but not in the traditional sense of the word. Many collectors nowadays locate, evaluate, and even purchase artwork over the Internet.

Sculpture is offered online through a variety of sources: sculpture studios and cooperatives, auction houses and non-profit auctions, art retailers and portal sites, and art galleries. Each virtual venue has its benefits, but eager shoppers also need to be wary of the potential pitfalls of buying sculpture online.

Although buying direct from a sculptor or co-op may seem appealing, your selection will be limited to the work of that particular artist or group of artists. Evaluating different choices will necessitate visiting a number of different artist sites. This can be a time-consuming and frustrating process since many (but not all) of these sites are non-intuitive to use and can be poorly executed.

Buying successfully at an online auction requires some saavy. To avoid overpaying or acquiring a piece you will be unhappy with later, you need some knowledge of the sculpture market, as well as up-to-date information on the valuation of the work that caught your eye. And you may have difficulty locating a piece that interests you, since sculpture offerings at auction are few and far between.

Art retailers and portal sites do sell a vast collection of art. The problem to watch out for here can be quality. Very often, the profit motive far exceeds the quality of the work being offered. If you are looking for gallery or museum-quality work, you may be better off looking elsewhere.

Of course I’m biased, but I believe that the benefits of purchasing online from a gallery are several. For one, a lot of the legwork involved in locating sculpture in a style and medium you enjoy has already been done for you. A gallery acts as curator, selecting only the highest-quality work of leading artists from all over the world. If you see a few works that appeal to you on the homepage, you will often appreciate most of that gallery’s selections.

When purchasing from a reputable gallery, the staff will work hard to represent your interests as well as the artist’s.  You can be assured that the price of your favorite piece is representative of its true value in the marketplace, because gallery staff are both art market experts and shrewd businesspeople. They work with artists to price their pieces in a way that accurately reflects their value and does not take advantage of the customer.

Gallery staff act as go-betweens before, during and after the transaction. By working with a gallery, you will gain an objective, 360-degree picture of the piece you’re interested in purchasing. Staff associates will do research on your behalf on the medium, process and maintenance of the piece you’re considering, and can suggest other works that may be of interest to you. They can broker a commission of a unique sculpture created just for you. And their familiarity with packing, crating and shipping will make sure your selection arrives at your door quickly and intact.

Most of the sculpture offered for sale at A New Leaf Gallery and Sculpturesite Gallery’s websites can still be shipped for Christmas delivery: visit us today!

Restoration Work on Michelangelo's David

Relatively recently Michelangelo’s David underwent extensive restoration.  The process and certainly the result divided the public in a firestorm of controversy.  Was the restoration necessary?  Was this monument of culture saved from advancing age or forever destroyed in the name of restoration?  Who was serviced more, the work of art or the careers of those who oversaw the restoration?  These questions become particularly pertinent here at home with the San Francisco Art Commission’s announced plans to restore Peter Voulkos’ piece at the Hall of Justice.  When is restoration needed?  When does it cross the line from help to hindrance?  This much can be said: for every insistent restorationist you will find an equally passionate traditionalist.  Each has valid arguments; each believes to be acting in the name of the greater good.  There is a place at the table for both.

The ensign of restoration waves for one of two reasons – delaying destruction and restoring original intent.  Until a Muse grants a primetime interview, we will never know the true original condition of the work or the intent of its creator.  He, and he alone knows how it was created and how it should be cared for. Thus, little can be said of “original intent.”  Even if this unknowable could be known, would we necessarily want it?  Canonized masterpieces are elder statesmen.  They no longer have the vivacity of their youth or the energy of innovation but they have something of equal worth - scars, wrinkles, and blemishes.  We look to them not because of their smooth alabaster skin but because time has given them a uniquely insightful patina of experience.  A 500-year-old crack can sometimes carry more significance then unblemished youth.

However, at what point do we allow a meaningful crack to become a thousand scars of decay?  When do the distinguished marks of age become destructive to the work’s fundamental identity?  At some point, even the most archival work requires help to prolong the inevitable reach of time.  It is at this point that the skills of restoration are essential and needed.  But where is this point?  When is it time to intervene?  Therein is the line of gray.

If the artwork is in scientifically verifiable and incontrovertible peril, proceed, but proceed with caution.  If restoration is undertaken for other reasons, leave it alone.  We will never know how it looked in its youth so let us continue to venerate the image we have now.  If a painting is deemed “sick” and in need of treatment then conservationists, who consider themselves the “doctors,” should take the artistic equivalent of the Hippocratic Oath – “do no harm.”  Is the treatment a cosmetic tummy tuck or a double bypass?  Are we prolonging the life of our elder statesmen or turning our canon into the artistic equivalent of Joan Rivers and Michael Jackson?  Aging has its grace and beauty.  Interfere only when there is real need.

What bearing does this have on the aforementioned Voulkos restoration?  Is this cosmetic or essential surgery?  Years of neglect have caused unnatural, accelerated aging.  When the piece was initially installed a much needed endowment for upkeep was never established.  It now desperately needs our attention.  Fortunately the restoration plans include raising funds to establish an endowment for regular upkeep hopefully making future restoration projects unnecessary.  Indeed, this is surgery with a much needed dose of preventative medicine.

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.