Indoor sculpture sales shine; as contemporary sculptors evolve, so, too, does the demand for their works

Art Business News, April, 2006 by Joe Jancsurak

For many collectors, it may take a while before they purchase their first sculpted work. But once they do, it doesn't take long before they're hooked on the work, emotion and creativity that today's contemporary sculptors pour into their art. Artexpo New York proved to be a great opportunity to catch up with many of these sculptors as they discussed how their work has evolved over the years and the current state-of-the-market for indoor sculptor sales.

Sculpting Energy

At Masterpice Publishing, Inc., Laguna Beach, CA, sales of sculpture, ranging in price from $7,500 to $350,000, have increased steadily since 2001, with the most dramatic increases (20 percent annually) The increase in sculpture sales may be explained by "the growing reputation of our sculptors; the consistent quality of their work; and sustained marketing efforts," says Pamela McNeil, marketing director.

One Masterpiece sculptor, whose reputation continues to grow, is Boban--"Master of the Spoons." A native of Yugoslavia, Chicago-based Boban is all about capturing "the sparks of life" through his work.

Upon coming to the United States 15 years ago, Boban immediately embraced the freedom he felt to express himself like never before. This "spiritual transformation from within" energized him to stretch beyond his European academic studies of classical art.

Boban began experimenting with a variety of objects--nails, watches and bicycle parts, to name a few. But it was the ordinary household spoon that would eventually capture his attention and become his object of choice. He found that by fusing, bending and shaping the spoon elements, he could create beautifully sculpted mythological figures, musicians and athletes.

"The electrical impulses of the electric welder allows me to capture the sparks of life," says Boban of the process. "The welding process allows me to express my vision and passion."

The sculptures that Boban creates are cast into mold using the lost wax process (a method for changing a sculpture made of soft clay into a harder material such as bronze), and are then dipped into nickel bronze to produce the lustrous limited original editions (no more than 45) that his collectors have come to expect.

Sculpting Life's Challenges

German-born Israeli artist Tolla Inbar's style has evolved since she first began exhibiting her works in 1994 from realistic and figurative, to more expressive and semi-abstract works that reflect her philosophy about life's energy flows. That is, the forward and upward movement that we, as human beings, experience as we encounter the circles, spirals and ups and downs of everyday living. Her bronze works are rich in physical metaphors--ropes, ladders and stairs--used to show the freeing of our souls from life's restrictions.

The human spirit that ultimately triumphs is seen in such works as "The Sky Is the Limit" (a part of former President Clinton's collection) and "Circle of Life" (collected by Robert Hurst, president of the Whitney Museum in New York) and galleries in the United States, Singapore, Belgium and France. "Unlocking Spiritual Memories," shows a figure busily unlocking a stack of padlocks. And "Mask" shows the expressions we all must assume in order to get through everyday life situations.

As demand for her work continues strong, Inbar says, "It's the philosophy behind each of the works that draws them to the art."

Sculpting Tenderness

Known for her rounded and flowing abstract shapes, Sylvia Chait, a self-taught sculptor of more than 26 years, says she strives to communicate love and tenderness in her works and that the shapes she arrives at "are felt" by her even before she begins a piece.

The South African-born, Santa Monica, CA-based Chait says her patina bronze and stainless steel works are characterized by rounded and flowing shapes, and smooth and highly polished surfaces.

Until recently, Chair has been known for her abstract shapes. At Artexpo New York, however, she unveiled "The Big Apple" green and red patina bronze sculptures and "Beryl," a brown patina bronze sculpture depicting a female torso that can be rotated, depending on the viewer's preference. And adding some color to the mix was "Echoes," an arc-en-ciel (colored arc) bronze work.

Chait's works, which range in price from $850 to $19,000, can be seen in numerous private collections and art galleries throughout the United States (New Jersey, Las Vegas and California), England, Australia, South Africa, Canada and Europe.

She says that sales of her work have increased over the past couple of years, due to "Artexpo New York and the exposure received in Art Business News, new clients and the loyal following of my collectors, galleries and interior designers."

Jonathan Darmon, also an Israeli sculptor, says his bronze and stone sculptures are about love and relationships.

His "Multiform" sculptures, for example, include separate figures that can be rotated towards or away from one another, depending on how the viewer wants to represent the relationship. And his "Joie de Vivre" indoor piece was recently commissioned as an outdoor piece by the Atlanticare Regional Medical Center for Childbirth in Pomona, NJ.