Copyright infringement happens to all arts and intellectual property including bronze sculptors. Sadly it often goes unnoticed or ignored. Musicians, painters and designers usual appreciate the problem. These images are only a few of my father's work (Mark Hopkins) that have been knocked-off. The ones on the left are the originals and the copies on the right. You can read a US News / NBC article here that I was interviewed for. Also, to learn more about the problem and see other bronze sculptors dealing with it, go to this website. It's a frustrating issue. Although imitation is the highest form of flattery, this isn't
Recently, the quote about the "thin line between insanity and genius" has been 0n my mind, no pun intended. There are story after story of artists, be it music, painters, sculptors, performers who are tormented by something within their brains or souls that haunt and drive them. Truthfully I am no different. There are very high, highs and very low lows. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground. The even balanced emotional status is an elusive creature for the creative mind, at least mine. Often it's the art that becomes the outlet, the way to cope. Sculpting is my personal therapy, for others, it's their medium of choice. Some may not "get" this idea. The idea that art is the result of a broken person is foreign Trust me when I say that the passionate animal contained in a creators mind is volatile beast. I don't drink and have few "vices" in that regard, so my vice is to sculpt. It's my escape, a way to empty my mind and keep grounded. Creating is necessary, at least for me. So how is a certain texture achieved on a sculpture? How are those cuts, grooves, smoothness made? Sculpting tools of course. Some are dental tools, some are specifically made tools I buy from the sculpture supply store... yes, I'm being serious. Which is used depends on what your creating. Although fingers, thumbs and elbow grease are important, these essential elements assist in making a clay original read for casting into bronze. As previously discussed, I shipped my new clay eagle sculpture to the bronze foundry. I packed in a box, inside another box. Nervously I called this morning to see if it had arrived. The voice said "yes" but they hadn't had the chance to open it. Then an hour or two later the phone rang and I anxiously answered, and my weekend will go well with the words... "I can't see any damage at all, it looks great". My weight was lifted. If you've seen Ace Ventura, you'll chuckle as to how that fits into this. Even if you haven't, experience gives me reason to worry. Now it's time for them to work their magic and a bronze eagle should be in flight soon. Continued from a previous post... my wife said "do something different". So I did and this is the start of what came from that challenge. It's a clay statue of a rabbit / bunny who tripped, leaped, passionately discovered some flowers. From the other post you can see what has developed for the piece which is due mostly to my dad bringing in some reference books (one shown in this picture) to help. We have books, lots of books and they came in quite handy during the creation / sculpting of this sketch. Here's my pun, the books he provided assisted me by "leaps and bounds"... HA. The rabbit will have its nose in flowers and a butterfly on it's foot. "Why that pose" you inquire, "what happened?" That's the fun of art and entirely up to the viewer. One of the bronze foundries that we use is in another state. I boxed up and am preparing to send them my clay eagle sculpture, now titled "Defending Liberty". This is a scary time for me. Why? Because the clay is soft, and packing it up and sending it via a shipping company makes an artist nervous because who knows where it will actually go and if it arrives, if it will arrive in good condition. The next few days my blood pressure will be up, my finger nails will be shorter and I'll pace more than usual. Once the foundry receives the piece, they will check it, consult with me and then proceed with molding. The mold will be made of silicone rubber on the inside and plaster or plastic on the outside. The rubber captures the detail and the plaster / plastic will hold the shape. The foundry will use this mold to create a duplicate wax which will then be used in the "lost wax casting" process. You can learn more about that here. If all goes well, a finished bronze eagle sculpture will be in my hands soon and pictures posted in a few weeks. |
AuthorThese updates are written by Eli Hopkins. Archives
October 2013
|