Lost-Wax Bronzes by Robyn Erbe

7/28/2019 Lost-Wax Bronzes by Robyn Erbe

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It is a strong curiosity for the lost-wa

x process of ca

sting bron

ze that has kept me working in the foundryand driven me to experiment prolifically. An approach of trial and error has led me to explore old andnew technique

s, while all the time te

sting the limit

s of what intricate forms the molten bronze can be

persuaded to create.My work aims to blur the boundarie

s between sculpture and the decorative art

s that utilise craft

smanshipin multiple materials, often combined in one ornate piece. My goal in the foundry has also been to strive

for finer, thinner, more delicate forms, and the structural form of f

lowers, plants and leave

s have recentlybecome the main focus of my attention. Drawn to the intrinsic fragility of f

lora, in addition to it

s beautyand transience, there is an abundant array of diverse forms to challenge me: as with Easter Lily(page 28)or Fuchsia Ballerina (page 34). Each plant pas

ses through many stage

s and so has many guise

s, eachaccording to their own season, f

lourishing, fruiting, seeding, dying and resurrecting.

With so much choice, my method ha

s been a delicate balance of selection and serendipity. Some plantshave caught my attention a

s I pass them everyday in the street: like the aromatic Elderf

lower(page 20)and the attractive Buddleja (page 22) that grow abundantly, yet are often lost or overlooked in the urban

environment of our busy day-to-day live

s. Wouldnt it be nice to cele

brate them and shine a light on alltheir usefulne

ss to mankind over our history?

Introduction


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This is the point when the wax inside melts away and is lost, leaving a hollow ceramic shell mould.After the molten bronze is poured into these moulds they are destroyed in the process. My regular use ofMolochite in this way made me curious as to whether it would be strong enough when very thin to create

sculptural objects directly. I experimented by directly coating flowers with fine layers and firing them ina kiln.

Opium poppy petals are extremely flimsy and papery with fine creases and folds. Coating them directlyin molochite made for a surprising transformation: although the fine detail has been captured in the

finished piece, the flower has become solid and saucer-like (page 16). These petals are a ceramic jigsawclamped together by the molten bronze poured over them. This construction method adds to the precarious

feeling of fragility and accentuates the idea of the opium sap seeping from the seed head. All these ceramicshell works are not only extremely fragile due to the thinness of the material but also because the planthas been burnt out and the structures are hollow. They can bee seen as an antithesis of the bronzes, moredelicate to the touch than the original specimen.

The combined effect of this series of work is an eclectic collection of botanical curiosities that embodies

an historic aesthetic; influenced by Georgian homes and gardens, 19th Century museums, and even thegreat exhibition held at Crystal Palace in 1851.

Prices on request


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I have also researched and been influenced by the ideas of Carl Linnaeus and Charles Darwin, as well asthe Fibonacci sequence of numbers that is so prevalent in nature.

Working at Sothebys for seven years I was fortunate to be exposed to many prestigious artworks spanning

centuries, in a variety of media, and I felt constantly inspired by what I learnt and saw during my timethere.

Considerations of time and history are an important aspect of my work. It is a natural consequence of castingbronze to effortlessly evoke a sense of antiquity and nostalgia, as it is a sculptural medium that has beenused for thousands of years. The metal itself has a warm and earthy quality, which, left untouched, naturally

oxidizes to deep browns or verdigris. I have chosen traditional colours such as these for my patinas, each isapplied as a different combination of chemicals to the heated surface.

Perused and examined for their form and aesthetic value, these flora are no longer items of fleeting beautythat will wither and die; light no longer permeates but bounces off them. Now simply appreciated for theirunity with the surrounding space or enjoyed as a well-proportioned aesthetic object, they become merelyan idea, an interpretation, of the living things they once were. The process has frozen a moment of life into

never-changing permanence. The flower has been preserved for longevity as a symbol and a relic.

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Aralia (Fatsia japonica)

Patinated bronze, mahogany, etched copper42 x 32 x 26cm

Exhibited:

Snapshot, The Grant Bradley Gallery, Bristol, February 2012

Amplified, Front Room Art Trail, Bristol, November 2011

B.V. Open Studios, Bristol, October 2011Material-Process-Concept, CSAD, Cardiff, September 2011

Description:

Casting this Aralia leaf in bronze proved challenging due to the

combination of its thinness and wide span, yet was ultimately

successful.

1,800


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Castor Oil Plant

Molochite ceramic shell, carbon, varnish9 x 29 x 24cm

Exhibited:Snapshot, The Grant Bradley Gallery, Bristol, February 2012


B.V. Open Studios, Bristol, October 2011

Description:

An imprint of the leaf in ceramic captures the fine-veined detail

which has been accentuated with a layer of carbon applied tothe surface. Because of the similar leaves, it is often confusedwith Aralia (Fatsia japonica) which is also know as the falsecastor oil plant.

400

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Magnolia Fig Leaf (Ficus brunswick)





Material-Process-Concept, CSAD, Cardiff, September 2011

Description:

The fig was the first plant to be cultivated by man. Its leaf hasbecome a symbol of expurgation in art where it has been usedover centuries to censor nudity including, famously,Michelangelos David when presented to Queen Victoria.

700

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Constantine Fig Leaf (Ficus carica)






Description:

The Constantine fig is an ancient variety of fig that has a morebasic three-lobed leaf structure than later cultivars.

700

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Gerbera (Gerbera hybrida)

Patinated bronze35 x 7 x 7cm

Exhibited:



Description:

A large ornamental relative of the daisy, the gerbera has been

cultivated in a multitude of colours and sizes and is widely usedin flower arranging. Placed in a tiny bronze vase, it becomesreminiscent of ikebana the Japanese art of minimal floralarranging.

500

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Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum)

Bronze, Molochite ceramic shell16 x 26 x 16cm

Exhibited:



Description:

The white poppy has been worn since the First World War as a

symbol of peace and the desire of an end to the loss of life causedby war. Opium is extracted from white sap that is bled from the

flowers seed head.

Not for sale

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Hog Weed (Heracleum lanatum)

Molochite ceramic, mahogany, etched copperInstalation with shelf: 60 x 48 x 22cm

Alone: 56 x 20 x 24cm

Exhibited:




Description:

Hogweed sap is toxic to the touch and can cause irritation of theskin. It is commonly found in English hedgerows and can growto great size. The hardy plant has been turned into adelicate, hollow, ceramic vessel just a few millimetres thick.

500

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Elderflower (Sambucus nigra)

Molochite ceramic shell, mahogany, etched copper22 x 20 x 20cm

Exhibited:




Description:

The aromatic flowers of early summer can be used to make

cordial and medicinal remedies to treat colds and flu, while thejuicy black berries were once considered to bring relief fromrheumatism.

300

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Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)

Molochite ceramic shell, mahogany, etched copperInstallation with shelf: 54 x 48 x 22cm

Alone: 42 x 33 x 22cm

Exhibited:




Description:

Buddleja means robust in Latin, it is found attracting butterflies inurban environments such as wastelands and along train tracks. Herethe plant has been encapsulated in industrial ceramic liquid and

fired in a kiln, giving it a coral-like appearance where each flowerhead is hollow.

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Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)

Molochite ceramic shell14 x 30 x 10cm

Exhibited:



Description:

Like a poor relation of the daisy, in yellow or pink, overlookedon the side of the road, this weed has been entombed and

transformed into a haunting, monochrome, coral-like ceramicshell.

200

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Asiatic Lily (Lilium asiatic)

Molochite, Patinated bronze, mahogany,etched copper42 x 15 x 15cm

Exhibited:




Description:

This lily is a hybrid of a robust bronze stem and a fragile ceramicflower that merely hangs from its support.

500

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detail


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Spider Chrysanthemum(Chrysanthemum morifloium)


Exhibited:Amplified, Front Room Art Trail, Bristol, November 2011



Description:

A preposterous hybrid taken to the extremes of possibility, thisflower balances precariously in its attempt to defy nature.

2,000

a30detail


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Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia soulanger)

Patinated bronze, molochite ceramic, coconut wood20 x 42 x 33cm

Exhibited:Amplified, Front Room Art Trail, Bristol, November 2011


Description:One of the first blooms of the year signalling the approach ofspring. The bud is made of robust bronze, yet the flowers, recreated

in ceramic and wood, are less eternal and very fragile in comparison.

Not for Sale

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Fuchsia Ballerina

Patinated bronze, woodEach: 12 x 4 x 4cm

Exhibited:



Description:A delicate study in bronze, these tiny flowers dance in celebration

of existence.

400 each

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Romanesco Broccoli (Brassica oleracea)


Exhibited:



Description:

This pair of fractal vegetables, from the cabbage family, provokewonderment at the elaborate diversity of nature and agriculture.

500 each

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Curly Kale (Brassica oleracea)


Exhibited:



Description:Another cabbage relative, whose leaves seem randomly chaotic,yet the underlying structure is as repetitive and precise as that ofits brother the Romanesco. The frizzy leaves are imitated in the

frozen bronze at the base, that flooded into the cracks in themould when poured.

700

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Tree Coral (Nephtheidae paralemnalia)

Patinated bronzeVaries between 6 x 4 x 4cm and 20 x 10 x 7cm

Exhibited:


Description:

A delicate and fundamental part of marine life rendereddurable in bronze. These proved a perfect subject to experimentwith a multitude of coloured patinas.

200 each

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Nostalgia (Rosa grandiflora)

Bronze12 x 54 x 18cm

Exhibited:

Front Room Art Trail, Bristol, November 2011

Objet dArt, Sothebys, New Bond Street, July 2010NSAD Degree Show, Norwich, June 2000

Description:

One of the most symbolic of flowers paired with the gloved hand,

representing offering or receiving, and executed in the style of a19th Century antique, this piece is a gesture from the past.

2,000

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Melancholic Rose

Lead

4 x 4 x 32cm

Exhibited:

Objet dArt, Sothebys, New Bond Street, July 2010

NSAD Degree Show, Norwich, June 2000

Description:This is a cast of the bronze rose (Nostalgia), not a direct life-cast. The transformation into lead, a soft, dull and toxic metal,makes this rose replica appear cool and melancholic.

200

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Fuchsia Doilly

Lead, shellac

2 x 12 x 12cm

Exhibited:Objet dArt, Sothebys, New Bond Street, July 2010


Description:

Lace and flowers, in a delicate composition, contrast with the

sinister overtones of the toxic metal used to execute it.

300

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www.robynerbe.co.uk07979 54 64 10


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A Curiosity

Patinated bronze

6 x 34 x 10cm

Exhibited:B.V. Open Studios, Bristol, October 2011

Description:

A curious object raises the question of possible function or if thereever was one. Maybe its an archaeological find or a fragment of

something larger...? The imagination is encouraged to wander.

1,500

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Rags to riches

Patinated bronze

15 x 14 x 8cm

Exhibited:B.V. Open Studios, Bristol, October 2011

Description:

Only partially abstract, rags cast into bronze become ambiguousand cross boundaries of definition. This one seems shell-like yetits variegated brown patina makes it appear more bark-like with

a Baroque aesthetic.

500


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Rags to riches

Patinated bronze

16 x 11 x 5cm

Exhibited:


Description:

The bronze shows through the patina of this piecegiving it a distinct feeling of being a fragment of abaroque curlicue.

500back


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Les Loupes

Lead, glazed wooden box

15 x 15 x 4.5cm

Exhibited:

Objet dArt, Sothebys, New Bond Street, July 2010

Description:

Directly cast from an old brass magnifying glass and now par-tially wrapped in the soft lead flashing from the mould, theseobjects have become obscuring rather than illuminating and areencapsulated out of harms way.

400


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Hanger

Bronze, steel

16 x 42 x 2cm

Exhibited:Objet dArt, Sothebys, New Bond Street, July 2010


Description:

Infinitely more interesting than their wire or plastic counter-parts the wooden coat hanger often shows signs of ware on itssurface. These marks have been captured and enshrined on the

surface of the bronze.

300

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Make a wish

Bronze

2 x 6 x 4cm

ExhibitedHidden Talent, Sothebys, New Bond Street, July 2010

Description:

I tried to cats a tree of twenty or so bronze wishbonesand believe it or not exactly three were complete whichwill teach me not to be greedy. One wish granted

should be enough.

Not for Sale

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www.robynerbe.co.uk

07979 54 64 [email protected]

Lost-Wax Bronzes by Robyn Erbe

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