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BRONZE ART, MASS PRODUCED OR FINE ART? Why should I pay $2,500 for a table-sized piece of bronze (fine art) when I can get a bronze at XYZ Warehouse Store for much less? This question is posed to me from time to time, and my short answer is always the same: You shouldn't. Of course I usually expand on that just a bit, no point in appearing abrupt or rude. People who ask such a question probably just want a piece of metal statuary that will enhance their interior or outside décor, and I commend them for that. The reason they ask, however, is because they haven't been exposed to specific differences between fine art bronze art and that which has been mass produced in Mexico or China. To the uninitiated, a bronze is a bronze is a bronze. I felt the same way before I got started in this business. I admired the bronze art that showed up in our local warehouse store without really knowing what I was looking at. I remember thinking, Wow! That is a heck of a price for a ----------- ----------- bronze. How do they do that? Well, now I'm not so wowed. For one thing, some pieces were not originally created by the big name artist at all. They were sculpted by someone who was inspired by a painting or drawing after the famous artist had died. The famous artist's name is still invoked in the sales pitch and advertising, however. Edition size is another consideration. The mass produced work has no limit to the number of pieces that can be produced of an individual work of art. With more copies constantly being produced on demand, what are the chances of its value increasing over time? Slim and none? Fine art is produced in limited numbers. When an edition is sold out it is sold out. Exclusivity contributes to value, especially as the artist's reputation grows. Also, with the purchase of a piece of fine art bronze comes a certificate of authenticity, guaranteeing that the edition size won't be increased. |
Let's talk about quality. To allow for mold withdrawal, an original clay model must be cut into pieces. Arms, legs etc are cast separately, then welded back together in the final stages of foundry work. How well the weld marks are ground off (chased ) contributes to the quality of the finished piece. Massed produced pieces often are not chased as thoroughly as fine art bronze. The reputation of the fine art foundry rides on the skill and workmanship of its employees.
Patina or coloration is another problem with the mass produced work I've seen. Most of it is either just plain brown, or has been painted with acrylic paint. Metal content, what's it made of? Recently a California foundry owner told me the mass produced work has a lot of brass in it. He said that is why it doesn't take patina well. I don't know how true that is, but I'll try to find out. I may buy a piece and send a chunk of it to a metallurgist for analysis (unless the test is cost prohibitive). I'll keep you posted. Fine art bronze content is standardized: 95% copper, 4% silicon and 1% manganese (or sometimes 92-4-4) . This allows for a much broader scope of coloration possibilities.
So, will the mass produced bronze art last for the next hundred years and beyond? Absolutely! Will it enhance the décor of a home or business? Yes. Will it increase in value over time? I don't see how it could. If you've ever thought about asking the question posed in paragraph one of this article, I guess the answer just depends on why you want to buy a bronze piece in the first place. The choice would seem to be between price and utility Vs value, aesthetics, quality and price appreciation.
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