Colorado sculptor J. Christopher
White astounded crowds at Loveland's 2002 "Sculpture in the Park" Exhibition
by unveiling an
innovative sculptural concept he recently developed by co-mingling the
ancient mediums of wood and bronze. While wood and bronze have frequently
been presented side-by-side in sculpture, White has done a stunning job of
blending the two into a new medium which he has christened a "bronze-wood
meld".
"Determined", his eye catching rendition of a peregrine falcon in a dive,
caused the show audience to do a double take - is it wood or bronze? The
transition point between wood and bronze was nearly imperceptible due to the
artist's ability to take the wood deep into the bronze sculpture, and the skill of the patiniere
to reproduce the weathered grays of rough wood. White's tasteful use
of high Polish and contrasting rugged grays (in his wood sculptures), builds
a platform to launch the illusion of bronze turning into wood. The result is
a sculpture with the durability and repeatability of bronze, and the warmth
and one-of-a-kind uniqueness of wood. "You really got the best of both
mediums and the added intrigue of having your eye fooled", White commented.
The Loveland crowd was clearly awed by this new sculptural medium.
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White
said, "It really was fun to watch people scrutinize the work, narrow their
eyes and begin to examine the piece more closely. After running my finger
along the precise boundaries of the bronze and wood; and often repeating,
"No, this part is bronze, and "Yes, this segment is wood", people would
smile a wondering smile and ask "How did you do that?". It was an exciting
way for me to interact with the crowd because more often than not at the end
of the conversation the newly educated would grab a friend and challenge
them to point out where the bronze ended or began. Over the two decades that
White
has been sculpting professionally,the artist has built a national reputation for unique wood images fashioned from West Texas
juniper and highly polished to achieve the glowing golden hue inherent in a
Tiger Eye stone. White explained,
"Although I thoroughly enjoy working in wood, the medium has limited my
ability to produce sufficient sculptures to satisfy the growing demand for
my work. 'The advantage of this new medium is that it allows me to produce
multiple images while retaining the one-of-a-kind value collectors are
seeking."
The sculptor emphasizes that in addition to melding the juniper and bronze
together the mesquite base in itself is also an art form, its lines working
with and flowing into |
the lines of the falcon. Also, the rich, gray wood tones of the
mesquite are incorporated into the patina of the bronze creating an
overall blend which makes it nearly impossible to discern wood from
metal.
White is already creating additional images and is excited about the
challenges posed by each new idea. You can find White's falcon image,
"Determined", and dozens of the artist's other exquisitely executed wood
sculptures, on his web site: www.parablesinwood.com
Press Release written by Myrna I Zantell, 8/17/02
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