"My heart and my soul are immortalized in my work. I don't commit anything to bronze until I am ready to have it live a long time." - Ken Curley
An artist's ability to interpret the world in a fine art form is an accomplishment in itself. To express it in bronze, one of the most resilient metals on earth is awe-inspiring ... when one considers the artist's vision will endure for thousands of years.
Sculptor Ken Curley is a bronze artist whose zest for life and passion for bronze have translated into powerful works of art that are destined to stand the test of time.
The versatility of bronze provides unlimited opportunities for Curley to express his view of the world around him, whether it's to celebrate the wonders of nature, explore the fanciful corners of the mind, or delve into the human character.
Curley grew up viewing the world - and nature in particular - with an artist's eye. Although he waited until his children had grown before pursuing his dream of becoming a bronze artist, Curley wasted no time mastering the medium.
When Curley set out to become an artist at the age of forty, his vision had already matured, and years of keen observation quickly emerged in richly-detailed works. With decades of inspiration tucked away in his imagination, Curley met his calling enthusiastically, equipped with an abundance of ideas and subject matter. "I have so many images in my mind that it would take me more than a lifetime to create them," he says.
The artist is well on his way to assembling his life's work, with a succession of expressive works that symbolize his appetite for living life to its fullest. Many of Curley's sculptures pay tribute to his respect for the environment, and connection with nature. He is becoming increasingly renowned for wildlife works that radiate a life-like quality, including otters, rabbits and herons that range from whimsical to majestic in their approach.
It took Curley a full year to complete the most elaborate project of his wildlife series: a life-size mother bear, frolicking with two cubs. The beautifully detailed black bear family, which is impressive in size and complexity (the mother bear weighs about 200 pounds), was designed as an outdoor exhibit. Not surprisingly, the bears fit naturally into the woodland environment where they were permanently erected this year. Originally created as a private commission, Curley plans to release the work in a low edition size to collectors.
Seamless flowing lines, and careful attention to form distinguish almost all of Curley's work. This is most apparent in his fantasy pieces - dream-like images in which he reveals his versatility, and talent for stimulating the imagination.
Curley has also successfully delved into the difficult art of sculpting the human form, mainly in bust-like works of both historical and contemporary figures. In one of his popular pieces, "Thundercloud", Curley has artfully captured the determination and purpose that resides behind the eyes of his native subject.
More recently, Curley was commissioned to create a bronze portrait of three siblings - a two dimensional relief work that is created much like the embossed artwork found on a coin. The relief process is a stimulating departure from his three-dimensional bronze work, but what he enjoys most, and never tires of, is the challenge of capturing the character and personalities of his subjects.
Curley's artistic progress has been defined by challenges. He is not only taking on new ones - such as the life-size bear family and relief portraits - he is succeeding in meeting those challenges with extraordinary mastery. At times, he even surprises himself with his increasing confidence as he pushes his artistic boundaries. He is driven by the desire to create and communicate, with each of his projects taking on a somewhat obsessive dimension. "Once the vision has gripped me, I can't think of anything else," he says.
For Curley, achievement of his vision can take months. The journey is an emotional one, starting with an idea that takes shape, followed by days and nights of meticulous sculpting. The clay or wax form is then carefully delivered to the foundry where it is cast in bronze, and finally, returned to the artist for finishing. Curley explains that while the bronze casting process is fascinating, involving a craftsmanship of its own and mastery of ancient casting techniques, it is in effect a means to an end - that end being the fruition of an artistic vision. "The casting process itself is not the heart and soul of the art," he maintains. "That belongs to the artist who creates it."
With heart and soul serving as his inspiration, Ken Curley's ongoing journey is leading him to increasing artistic enlightenment, and perhaps, fulfillment of a vision that will be immortalized in bronze for centuries to come.