Blake Ward: Just Beneath the Surface Solo Exhibition New Sculpture Toronto, October 9 – November 8 Artist’s Talk: 360 Silhouettes Side by Side in a Circle; Friday, October 10, RSVP info@articsokgallery by October 01, 2014 Blake Ward makes his Toronto gallery debut Thursday, October 9 until Saturday, November 8, 2014, 6 - 9 pm, at the Articsók Gallery, 1697 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, ON, M6N 1J2. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday - Saturday, 12 PM - 6 PM. Call 416 651 5020 or info@articsokgallery. Blake will attend the opening and he will give an Artist’s Talk, Friday, Oct 10 from 7 – 9 PM at the gallery. Blake Ward’s contemporary work builds on the techniques of classical figurative sculpture used since antiquity. His newest pieces challenge the classical figure by opening up the interior space of the human form as a way to explore the landscape of our inner selves. Holding fast to his love of the human figure, Ward remains true to the representational quality and realistic proportions of traditional sculpture while simultaneously exploring new ways to comment on the trinity of human complexity: mind, body, and spirit. Ward’s provocative, ¼ scale, partial bronze figures cross into abstract and ethereal realms and break away from all the fundamental rules of bronze sculpture. Their perfect proportions are freshly contemporary in form and spirit, academic and classical, florid and baroque. The vulnerable, textured exterior surface alludes to the complexity of the individual. The open, exposed interior is not only undisguised, but prominently on display, and insists that we look inside and open a conscious, intentional flow between the external form of our bodies and our internal landscape. The stylistic amalgamation of 15th, 16th and 17th century sculpture with the angst of the German Expressionists reaches a pinnacle in Blake Ward’s metallic expressionism. His figures perfect proportions, reminiscent of the strictness of classical balance, break away from all the fundamental rules of bronze sculpture, catapulting this medium into the 21st century. The Process The original sculptures latex rubber molds are used to pour the wax figure to be cast. During pouring, pieces that form the wax figure are removed or added, the design is changed, and essentially the piece is created in wax. Once all the parts of the mold have been poured, they are assembled by melting the wax pieces. This is a very critical stage, as the correct proportions must be maintained. It is also a point at which different parts of the molded figure can be added or taken away. Ready now, in fragile wax, the piece must be held together by an exterior structure, an exo-skeleton providing strength and stability to keep the piece from deforming or falling apart while in transport to the foundry. It also has wax tubes that go from this exo-skeleton straight to every part of the piece and become the feeding tubes for the bronze to flow during the bronze pour. At the foundry, a ceramic mold is created around the entire piece including the exo-skeleton. The mold is then baked and the wax is melted out. The molten bronze is poured into this empty ceramic mold. Once the bronze is cool, the ceramic mold around it is broken away. At this stage, the exo-skeleton is removed and the bronze “chased” or worked on with files and a myriad of tools. This is a physically intense stage for the artist. The piece is worked and refined, as a piece of jewelry would be. The next stage is the patina. Acids are used to add colour to the sculptures. The technique for achieving different hues is an area of special interest for Blake. Always stretching the limits of creation and researching new ways to do things, he has come up with his own innovative procedure. Yellowknife born Ward received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Alberta in 1979, found his interest lay in classical figurative sculpture and, unable to find a teacher in Canada, moved to Paris, where he studied with Cyril Heck until 1989. When the opportunity to be closer to the foundry of his choice arose, Foundry Venturi Arte in Bologna, he moved to his current studio in Monte Carlo in 1991. Invited to teach at the University of Hanoi in 2003, Ward began a journey combining art with activism. He has been a positive force raising funds and awareness for the eradication of landmines. Ward’s work has shown in Monaco, England, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Hong Kong, Delhi, The United States, and Canada. Articsók Gallery is dedicated to advancing the benefits of creating and experiencing art, exhibiting painting, sculpture and photography by contemporary Canadian and International artists. Founders and managers are Csilla Csiki – B.A. Fine Art History, University of Toronto, and Peter Alexander Por – B. Arch., University of Illinois, Chicago – Honours B.F.A. Specializing in Sculpture, York University, Toronto. Contact James Monaco 1 705 471 1299 or [email protected]
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 20:14:57 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015