Sunday, April 28, 2013

Reasons Why Contemporary Sculptors Like Bronze

By Bertha Wells


Contemporary sculptors use various materials but most really enjoy working with bronze. This material is employed when projects are initiated for placement in museums, parks and government buildings. The important of this category of creative expression is recognized worldwide. Statues of leaders who have helped to transform their country serve as reminders of where people have been and what they hope to achieve.

Lots of cities spend a fair portion of their budget on pieces from different artists. In some case, the work is not complete until years have passed. There are also instances where large teams work on creating something beautiful in a short time. Towns find that by using their resources wisely, they can easily acquire work from talented but as yet unknown artists who will rise to fame.

These sculptures are all different, centering on themes that are important to the artist or the entity that commissioned it. Some are easily identified as birds, fish, human beings or even fruit. Others are much more abstract and represent ideas while taking on shapes that may never have been seen anywhere before.

Alloys which have bronze in them gain a unique quality. When they increase in temperature, they also expand. This makes it possible for them to reach every nook and cranny that might exist in a mold. Artisans exploit this feature by working fine details into their sculptures, such as the folds in a silk blouse.

As bronze cools, the metal becomes smaller. This quality is essential to the success of a project of this nature. When sculptures are being made, they are poured hot into a container. When they cool, they pull away from the sides of the vessel. This makes it easy to remove a fully formed statue from a mold.

Contemporary sculptors also enjoy working with this material for another reason. The alloy is completely ductile. The fact that it stretches easily makes it suitable for birds in flight, athletes in motion and a wide range of other action figures. It forms curves and arcs well and is not brittle.

A large number of the sculptures that adorned public buildings in times pat. This is attributed to the fact that bronze is so valuable and can be utilized in a number of ways. Kitchen tools, weapons and a range of objects can be manufactured from it. This puts beautiful artwork in danger in times of scarcity. Famous works have been lost, stolen and damaged to get the material that was used to build them.

Contemporary sculptors today rely on several materials to implement their own unique vision. Artists of ancient times could not produce some of the work that is made now with lighting fixtures, ceramics, glass and other materials. However bronze still reigns as queen. There is no other material that is loved as much as this one and employed in so many different legendary works of art across the world.




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