ABSTRACT
Waxen, chip carved and embossed, the artist’s signature is the ubiquitous feature of modern bronze sculptures. Supposedly signifying authorship, the line, weight, and cadence of this diminutive mark lends theoretical credence to the cast, but these marks are easily reproduced. And what then of the other makers who have collaborated in this work: founders, wax workers, chasers and patinaters? These hands all leave a signature of sorts, harder to define but with the potential to reveal far more information on substance, facture and even the aesthetics of the sculpture, which I call the “embodied signature.” This signature is written in the anatomy of the bronze and speaks not just of the casting process but of every influence, choice, geography, historical timeline and technological nuance that has led to its creation. From the surface of the bronze, its patina, chasing, even the burnishing marks of time, through to the core of its interior, the bronze cast contains a wealth of information. For artists like myself who specialize in casting their own work, the bronze cast becomes something of a psycho-geographic essay describing the very act of its making. With this in mind, I question where if anywhere does this notion have relevance, the art gallery, museum or the art market?
