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The rule of a thumb is that each and every bronze sculpture is one of a kind, so when it is finished, that single adventure is over. That particular piece will never be repeated again.
For me, the quality, the struggle for perfection of the finished piece, the challenge, and satisfaction from my work are most crucial – they are more important than the number of sculptures I can create.
That is why I never repeat their forms; each of my handmade pieces is matchless, extraordinary and will not be imitated in the future.
What I love is the complexity of the whole process and the variety of undertaken activities including working out textures and the pose, the struggle to find the piece in the wax or clay, the technical side of casting the piece and of course the patination of the finished bronze.
In the ages of mass production, I create work for people who appreciate things created with love and passion.
My aim and priority is the quality, beauty, and uniqueness of every single piece.
Currently, creating one piece usually takes up to 2-4 months of work.
Sculpting
Damon sculpts in both wax and clay.
Both the mediums have different properties, consistencies and textures, and this affects the resulting work.
His wax pieces make the most of the 'lost wax' method, creating one-off sculptures with unique and beautiful surface characteristics. To make it workable, wax must be carefully heated within a certain temperature range. Varying the temperature allows it to change from pliable and plastic—for creating structure—to fully liquid—allowing more coincidental mark-making and the addition of texture.
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Working in clay has a different 'feel'. Its soft pliability allows a more immediate, expressive way of working, from the hands directly into the material, allowing spontaneous manipulation and intuitive creation.
Bronze Casting
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With the lost-wax process, the piece is sculpted directly in wax. When completed, a network of vents and 'sprues' (small pipes) are added, so that when casting, the molten bronze can travel efficiently around the mould, and air and fumes can escape.
This whole structure then needs several coats of ceramic-based shell material to create a mould. Firing the shell at a high temperature stabilises the ceramic, and the wax drains out and is discarded—hence the 'lost wax' process. Molten bronze is then poured straight into the resulting mould, giving a truly unique piece.
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When working in clay, a mould is made from the original sculpture, and then a wax version cast from this mould. This is then ceramic-shelled and cast in bronze using the method described above.
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The raw cast pieces need meticulous cleaning and finishing before the chemical patination process can begin.