A material of art and war, bronze has been used to depict life, spirit and worship throughout the ages. It is a challenging material to work with, one that requires a measure of fierce control. It is a low tech, high skill craft and it takes the most part of a year to bring a piece to life.
Charlie uses a traditional form of casting called "lost wax"or "cire perdu". The first stage in the process is to create the work in clay. From the clay model, he then makes a mould of the basic form. The next step involves using the mould to create a wax version of the sculpture, adding sprues, risers and pouring points to ensure that the molten bronze can flow fully around the piece. Layers of molochite are built up around the wax. When a suitable depth has been achieved Charlie heats the molochite shell to melt out the wax. The now hollow shell is placed in sand with just the pouring point visible. The sand holds it in place and also provides protection in case the shell breaks during the pour.
Charlie heats the bronze to around 1200 degrees Celsius in a furnace he built himself. Before the hot work begins, he carefully rehearses every movement. This has been called ‘the dance of the pour’. It can take months to get a piece of sculpture to this point and after the drama of the pour, there is a wait of several hours before the shell can be smashed open and the final bronze artwork revealed.
The Bronze Legend Collection of sculptures has been inspired by the symbols and stories of the Ancient Celts. The rich tapestry of Irish history, tradition and myth are woven together to create bronze pieces that reach back into age-old storytelling traditions and connect us to themes that are still relevant today. View the full range HERE.
Each sculpture is one of a limited edition of twelve, it is numbered and stamped with the artists motif. Bronze is extremely durable and capable of lasting thousands of years. Owning one of The Bronze Legend sculptures is an investment that can be enjoyed by many generations, just like the ancient stories that inspired them.