We've always had a soft spot for Paul Evans' Sculpted Bronze series for Directional, begun in the mid 1960s. While we've found "inspired" pieces at local thrift and junk shops from time to time, they usually post-date the period by a good decade, and are never actually constructed with the metals Evans was so known for.
Inspired by recent creative uses of caulking and plaster we've seen online, we started to wonder just how difficult it would be to create your own Evans work at home...
The focus of the Bronze series was hand-sculpted metal, imperfections and all. Looking at these pieces, we think that you could easily create facimilies at home, using simple materials: caulking, plaster, and metallic paint.
Taking any piece of furniture and using the caulking or plaster to create raised designs would be easy. You could also use spray foam insulation for bigger details. After drying, all you would need is a metallic paint, preferably one suited for plastics.
As Evan's work for Directional was made by hand, finished by hand, and supervised by the artist at each step of production one piece at a time, we think customizing your own furniture this way - individually, and hand-crafted - is after the same spirit.
All images via 1stDibs and Todd Merril
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Awck!
I can only imagine the horrors that this suggestion will inspire. Pasta bows and wagon wheels glued to credenzas, then spray painted.
view shirley-temple-of-doom's profile
This is very "Han Solo trapped in carbonite"
view Eve in Hochelaga's profile
umm.. no. good lord that crap is ugly.
view animalhouze's profile
You can't "easily create facsimilies" of the original art. You can make a mess with plaster and spray paint.
Think long and hard about posts like this--if sculpting bronze was easy, everyone one would do it, right?
If you want to make a homemade version, fine, but please don't insult us, your readers, and the original artist, by suggesting that hand-spoiled versions are in the "same spirit". They're not.
view Palmetto's profile
I agree w/ Palmetto - The originals are fabulous...
...but there's a reason that there aren't already cheap plaster knockoffs in Pottery Barn.
view bepsf's profile
no.
view indiasoup's profile
That top piece looks like someone sh*t a brick.
view AlmostAD's profile
"if sculpting bronze was easy, everyone one would do it, right?"
Nah... eating meat is REALLY easy and still not EVERYONE does it.
In the true spirit of art, who cares about the materials, way to get there or technique; as long as it means something, inspires you or if you love it... who cares if it's just plastic (acrylic paintings), paper (origami), or macaroni... I know many people would rather have a glitter unicorn finger painting from their kids on the fridge than a reproduction of the mona lisa...
If someone wants to do it, and it feels good... then yeah... it's in the same spirit of art.
SNOBS KILL ART.
view Djluckyonline's profile