Sculpture "Donkey Couple", reduction in bronze
Sculpture "Donkey Couple", reduction in bronze
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ars mundi Exclusive Edition | limited, 199 copies | numbered | signature | hallmarked | certificate | bronze | chased | polished | patinated | reduction | size approx. 21 x 24.5 x 10 cm (h/w/d) | weight approx. 3.2 kg
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Sculpture "Donkey Couple", reduction in bronze
The donkey as a personality by Kurt Arentz - exclusively at ars mundi.
Kurt Arentz's (1934-2014) rank as a sculptor is based on two factors: his portraits of famous personalities and his depictions of animals made him famous worldwide. For both subjects, the artist went beyond the mere "portrait".
Arentz, while forming his motifs with his free hand, was not only looking for a realistic representation but was primarily concerned with a portrayal of the character - and this in both humans and animals. Thus, the demand for "similarity" is not merely anatomical, even though Arentz mastered this very task like hardly anyone else. Although many of the people he portrayed confirmed that they recognised their "inner self" in a bust by Arentz, the artist focused on the personality of the subject. This is also true of his animal portrayals.
For example, his young couple of donkeys is not only an impressively precise depiction of the foals, precisely captured in anatomy and movement but also a depiction of their playfulness and carefree joie de vivre. Just like the people portrayed by Arentz, they are "personalities" and recognisable as such. With this sensitive and heart-warming character study, he sets up a loving monument to the sociable and faithful companion.
Sculpture in fine bronze, cast using the Lost-Wax-Process, chiselled by hand, polished and patinated. Taken directly from the original and reduced in size. Limited edition of 199 copies, numbered, signed and hallmarked with the foundry and ars mundi stamp. With a numbered certificate of authenticity and limitation. Size approx. 21 x 24.5 x 10 cm (h/w/d). Weight approx. 3.2 kg. ars mundi Exclusive Edition.
Producer: ars mundi Edition Max Büchner GmbH, Bödekerstraße 13, 30161 Hanover, Germany Email: info@arsmundi.de
About Kurt Arentz
1934-2014
The German sculptor and painter was born in 1934 in Cologne, as the son of an old-established Bergisch artisan family. 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 emphasising the typical character of each species. As a remarkable self-taught artist, Kurt Arentz found his very own artistic form concept. Beyond academic experiments, but also far from all naturalistic platitudes, he shaped symbols of vital nature with his hands. His ideals of a still-intact world transport us as if into the wilderness. Arentz abstracted the animal as a being in itself. In doing so, he succeeded in placing his works in an era of timeless validity.
For his works, Kurt Arentz used a special silicone rubber process that allowed for the immediate realisation of his ideas. The bronze cast was then signed with the artist's very own signature. In the final work step, the surfaces of the metal were polished, roughened or patinated, thus acquiring 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 May 30, 2004, Kurt Arentz was congratulated by former chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl and former German President 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 Sr., as well as 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 considered one of the most significant 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 are housed in places such as the White House, Washington, and 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 lies in their strong expressiveness, but also in their carefree cheerfulness: Arentz's creative energy is joy in life.
Kurt Arentz 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. It is an ideal metal for high-quality artistic castings, capable of enduring for millennia.
When casting bronze, the artist usually applies the lost-wax technique which is dating back more than 5000 years. This is the best, but also the most complex method of producing sculptures.
First, the artist forms a model of their work. This model is embedded in a liquid silicone rubber mass. Once the material has solidified, the model is cut out, leaving a negative mould. Liquid wax is then 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, where the wax melts away (lost mould).
Finally, the negative mould is ready, into which the 1400° C hot molten bronze is poured. After the bronze had cooled down, the ceramic shell is broken apart, reavoling the sculpture.
Next, the sprues are removed, the surfaces are polished, patinated and numbered by the artist or by a specialist, following their instructions. Thus, each casting is 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 elaborate 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) that, according to the artist’s intention, is produced in multiple copies within a limited and numbered edition.
Multiples enable the "democratization" of art by making the work accessible and affordable for a wider audience.
A plastic work of sculptural art made of wood, stone, ivory, bronze or other metals.
While sculptures made of wood, ivory, or stone are carved directly from the material block, 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.