Sculpture "Owl", bronze
Sculpture "Owl", bronze
Quick info
ars mundi Exclusive Edition | limited, 499 copies | numbered | signed | bronze | hand-patinated | polished | size 22 x 14.5 x 15 cm (h/w/d) | weight approx. 3.2 kg
Detailed description
Sculpture "Owl", bronze
Kurt Arentz's sculptures convey an archetype of the portrayed animal, keeping the traces of artistic modelling. For this very reason, Arentz's owl perched on two tomes appears distinctly alive and emblematic of wisdom at the same time - a jewel for any library.
Sculpture in fine bronze, cast using the Lost-Wax-Process, patinated and polished by hand. Limited world edition 499 copies, numbered and signed. Size 22 x 14.5 x 15 cm (h/w/d). Weight approx. 3.2 kg. Exclusively at ars mundi.
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About Kurt Arentz
1934-2014
The German sculptor and painter was born in Cologne in 1934 as the son of an old-established family of craftsmen. He initially learned a trade but then found his own artistic path from 1979 onwards.
At first, he created still lifes in oil and pastel as well as portraits in bronze of celebrities such as Franz Josef Strauß or Herbert von Karajan. Later he focused mainly on animal motifs, in which he particularly emphasised the typical character of each species. As a remarkable autodidact, Kurt Arentz has found his very own artistic language of form. Beyond academic experiments, but also far from all naturalistic platitudes, he formed symbols of vital nature with his hands. His ideals of a still intact world transport us, as it were, into the wild. Arentz abstracted the animal as a being in itself. In doing so, he succeeded in placing his works in an era of timeless validity.
Kurt Arentz used a special silicone-rubber process for his works, which allowed him to realise his ideas immediately. The bronze cast was then signed with the artist's very own signature. In the final work step, the surfaces of the metal are polished, roughened or patinated and thus receive their motif-typical characteristics.
The sculptor has already presented his works to a large audience in numerous exhibitions in Germany and France. On his 70th birthday on 30th May 2004, Kurt Arentz was congratulated by former chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl and former president of Germany Roman Herzog. Arentz was used to receiving frequent acknowledgements and tributes from celebrities: Other fellow statesmen such as Willy Brandt, Ronald Reagan or George Bush senior, but also Sir Peter Ustinov and Willy Millowitsch had their portraits painted by Kurt Arentz.
Nevertheless, Kurt Arentz's great mastery is evident in his animal sculptures. He is regarded worldwide as one of the most important animal sculptors of the 20th century. In 2001, Arentz was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his artistic and social commitment. His sculptures can be found, for example, in the White House, Washington, and in the Museum of European Art in New York.
Like no other, he succeeded in reaching the very essence of the animal and depicting it. The great popularity of these nature studies is based on their strong expressiveness, but also on their carefree cheerfulness: Arentz's creative energy is joy in life.
Kurt Arentz last lived and worked in Leverkusen. He passed away in June 2014.
An alloy of copper with other metals (especially with tin) used since ancient times.
When casting bronze, the artist usually applies the lost-wax technique which is dating back more than 5000 years. It's the best, but also the most complex method of producing sculptures.
First, the artist forms a model of his sculpture. It is embedded in a liquid silicone rubber mass. Once the material has solidified, the model is cut out. The liquid wax is poured into the negative mould. After cooling down, the wax cast is removed from the mould, provided with sprues and dipped into ceramic mass. The ceramic mass is hardened in a kiln, whereby the wax flows out (lost mould).
Now we finally have the negative form, into which the 1400° C hot molten bronze is poured. After the bronze had cooled down, the ceramic shell is broken off and the sculpture is revealed.
Now the sprues are removed, the surfaces are polished, patinated and numbered by the artist himself or, to his specifications, by a specialist. Thus, each casting becomes an original work.
For lower-quality bronze castings, the sand casting method is often used which, however, does not achieve the results of a more complex lost-wax technique in terms of surface characteristics and quality.
Graphic or sculpture edition that was initiated by ars mundi and is available only at ars mundi or at distribution partners licensed by ars mundi.
Term for an art object (sculpture, installation), which is produced in multiple copies in a limited and numbered edition according to the artist‘s will.
Artist's multiples have been called the most accessible and affordable art on the market.
A plastic work of sculptural art made of wood, stone, ivory, bronze or other metals.
While sculptures from wood, ivory or stone are made directly from the block of material, in bronze casting a working model is prepared at first. Usually, it is made of clay or other easily mouldable materials.
The prime time of sculpture after the Greek and Roman antiquity was the Renaissance. Impressionism gave a new impulse to the sculptural arts. Contemporary artists such as Jorg Immendorf, Andora, and Markus Lupertz also enriched sculptures with outstanding works.