US

Bronze Sculpture Consultation Services

This entry was posted on August 28, 2014

We, at the Paul King Foundry, are experts on the history of bronze casting and the various techniques used throughout the ages. We have restored and repaired antique bronze statuary. The challenging problems involving new and antique sculpture are approached with the eye of an artist and the hands of a skilled art foundry craftsman. We are specialists in 19th and 20th century European and American bronzes. Authentication of bronze statues by style and technique used is an offered service. We can also recommend scientific analytic testing as a valued resource for the owners of public and private sculpture. As an expert on bronze sculpture, for insurance, legal claims and authentications, we provide examinations of contemporary and antique sculpture as well suggesting treatment options. All treatments follow the guidelines established by the American Institute for Conservation and are documented in written and photographic form.

Giant Ganesh Buddha – Sculpture Source Asia/Paul King Foundry

We have produced many small to monumental scale bronze sculptures in USA and in Thailand. We have made many large scale Buddha Bronzes including the 40 meter (120 feet+) tall Ganesh Buddha in Chachoengsao. Working closely with American and Canadian based artists as well as Asia Fine Art, Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC and many others have given us the experience needed to serve you.

We are internationally known for our conservation services, as we have traveled throughout the US and its territories, Canada, Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East for public and private collectors and investors.

Some of our work includes:

Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University: Consultation on the techniques of the Ghiberti Gates in Florence, Italy. There was also a consultation on the conservation of Henry Moore bronze.

Gardner Museum – Boston MA: The conservation of Cellini bronze

Museum of Fine Arts – Boston MA: The conservation of Caro sculpture

Smithsonian Museum – Washington DC: Numerous conservations at the National Mall.

Getty Museum – Malibu, CA: Paper on authentication of bronzes presented by Paul K. Cavanagh.

Matthews Corporation – Pittsburgh PA: Conservation of Gorham bronzes

U.N. Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland: Conservation of Paul Manship bronze

If you are interested in learning more about our authentication and restoration services please contact us through our offices in the US, at the Paul King Foundry or in Asia, through Sculpture Source Asia.

You may also visit our webpage Bronze Sculpture Consultation Services Global at bscsblobal.com

Leah Poller: Visit to Nanchang has Opened Floodgate of Creativity

This entry was posted on May 10, 2014

PAUL CAVANAGH AND LEAH POLLER

Bed Pillow by Leah Poller

Leah Poller participated in the International Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair in November 2012. She heard about the Jiangxi Tongqing Metal Handicrafts Company in Nanchang and that it was only about an hours plane ride from Shanghai. Poller was going to the Nanchang foundry to have her work cast for the first time. Like many sculptors, Leah Poller had become frustrated with the economic environment in the West. She was excited at the thought of an alternative to the escalating casting costs in the United States.

Paul Cavanagh representing our Asian affiliate, Sculpture Source Asia, along with his US educated translator, Dr. Wei Chan, escorted Leah Poller during the two day tour. Upon arrival at the airport, they were met by a car and driver from the foundry. They drove a half hour to Jiangxi where they were given gratuitous hotel accommodations by the foundry as is the custom for all visiting artists and clients.

Poller noted as she first left the car that “the entrance (was) framed by a sculptural world populated by Amazons. The grounds are peopled with 2 to 8 meters tall sculptures from Seward Johnson’s Los Mariachis to multiple size Buddha or paired dragons.” The three then went on a multi-hour walking tour of the Nanchang facility which Leah Poller described as “barely revealing the complexity and capacities of this foundry.” Jiangxi sits on 105 acres. The foundry consists of 405,000 square feet of workshops staffed by more than 700 employees.

Leah Poller said “the remainder of my afternoon was spent hiking through cavernous mold-making, casting and casing workshops and then through the smaller ateliers specialized in enlargements, wax molds, ceramic shell… In fact, the foundry is equally skilled in small works as well as large… I was left speechless as I viewed a seemingly endless line of massive works in progress that are commonplace to this foundry. As, for example, 500 larger than life-size individually sculpted Buddha for a temple.”

HIGH QUALITY AND LOWEST POSSIBLE COST- HUNDREDS OF ARTISTS SHOULD BE HERE

Poller work at Nachang Foundry

Leah Poller has recently told Paul Cavanagh she doesn’t understand why there aren’t hundreds of artists taking advantage of the quality, craftsmanship and economic value that this fine foundry has to offer. Poller continues to utilize the facility for her pieces, as she has found herself “for the first time in my artistic career…envisioning my works in public places, 12 feet high, brought in under budget, on time and executed effortlessly. The compelling opportunity offered by the Asian marketplace had started to come together. The visit to Nanchang has opened up a floodgate of creativity and for me, ‘build it, they will come’ has become a reality.”

Any misconceptions of Asia and all it has to offer are evolving. There are many artists who are interested in China such as Poller, who is now flourishing. Contact us to find out how you can partake in the benefits of Asia.

Leah Poller wrote a blog about her time with Paul Cavanagh in Nanchang, China. To read her blog and see photos please visit

www.artistorganizedart.com

ABOUT THE SCULPTOR

Leah Poller was born in Pennsylvania. She received classical training in sculpture at the prestigious Ecole Nationale Superieure de Beaux Arts, in Paris, France where she resided for 20 years. Partaking of a rich, multi-cultural environment, Poller interacted with foremost members of the international arts communities of France, Spain, Italy, Mexico and Latin America, through her art and from her collaboration on the facsimile re-edition of the major Twentieth Century Art Publications (Revolution Surrealiste, Dada, Cercle et Carre, Cobra, etc.). Returning to the United States in 1992, she established her studio in Soho and began the “The 101 Bed Collection” which has been exhibited in galleries and institutions in Europe, Mexico, Asia and throughout the United States. Her figurative work, notably ‘Women Warriors” and the newest series “Sung Heroes” unites the classical and the surreal with a uniquely modern reinvention of the portrait. She has been featured on CNN, Fox Television and in numerous art publications. She has lectured extensively and held workshops on creativity. In 2002, she was named Director of “Intercambios de Arte y Cultural Internacionale”, a Mexican/American association furthering cultural exchanges between the Americas and spearheading the restoration of a major twentieth century mural from 1935, recently discovered to be the work of Philip Guston. Poller lives and works in Harlem.

To learn more about our featured sculptor, Leah Poller, please visit her website

www.leahpoller.com

Paul Cavanagh and Sculpture Source Asia

This entry was posted on April 27, 2014

Paul King Cavanagh started the Paul King Foundry in Johnston, RI in 1966. Cavanagh attended the undergraduate program at Providence College and graduate school at Rhode Island School of Design. The year after RISD, Cavanagh spent in Rome, Italy, continuing his pursuit of the arts through independent study. One of those experiences was helping John and Margaret Manship set up a show of art work at a gallery. In preparation for the show, they had many visits to a Roman foundry. Cavanagh had been exposed to foundry work at RISD but it was not until his experience in Rome that he really knew he wanted to pursue the trade as a life’s work.

When Paul Cavanagh returned to the US he started organizing the work of opening the Paul King Foundry. Cavanagh apprenticed at Roman Bronze Works in NY and at a small sand foundry in RI. Although his true education in foundry work began when he opened his own foundry. Cavanagh could no longer depend on the systems others were using. He found he had to establish his own systems which happened only after a lot of study of the materials.

As the foundry grew, Paul Cavanagh was blessed with having a very talented group of workers. Some of those talented individuals continue to work with him. Their craftsmanship and understanding of what is required rivals any work produced by any foundry in the world. Paul King Foundry has produced numerous small and large pieces over the years. Paul King Foundry monuments are found all over the US.

Sculpture Source Asia, The Beginning: About 20 years ago, with more than 25 years of foundry experience, Paul Cavanagh was invited to participate in starting a partnership at an art foundry in Thailand. Cavanagh looked at the opportunity as both a challenge and an opportunity. For the past few years we have been able to make available to the clients at the Paul King Foundry the economy and craftsmanship of Thailand. Three years ago Cavanagh decided to end his partnership in Thailand, while maintaining his friendship and to open an art gallery in Shanghai. It was at that time that Paul Cavanagh established his relationship at an art foundry in Nanchang, China. These relationships continue today as Sculpture Source Asia. Cavanagh spends a good part of the year in Asia overseeing production of art pieces for the gallery and for clients at the Paul King Foundry interested in the economic advantages of Asia. Paul Cavanagh, who taught sculpture at Providence College, provides instruction on good foundry methods and techniques and the principles of sculpture as needed. Khun Nok, Manager, Sculpture Source Asia, oversees quality control in the Nanchang foundry in Cavanagh’s absence.

Sculpture Source Asia- foundry in Nanchang China
model making room, 2014

Paul Cavanagh has introduced the Nanchang foundry to the photopolymer process for bronze plaques. The photopolymers for bronze plaques is unique to this foundry in all of Asia. The workers have shown Cavanagh their ability to quickly grasp the new ideas and understand what is required to produce quality bronze castings.

Most recently, Paul Cavanagh has been asked to consult with a committee regarding a 96 foot Buddha for Queen Sirikit, Queen consort of Thailand. Khun Nok and Cavanagh are also working on another monumental Buddha project in Singapore.

To discover more about our Asian affiliate, please visit our sister site, or contact Cavanagh directly.

www.sculpturesourceasia.com

Paul Cavanagh and Khun Nok

This entry was posted on April 3, 2014

Approximately 10 years ago when Paul Cavanagh and his partners relocated their Thai art foundry to Ayutthaya, Thailand, he first met Suparat Wanicha (Khun Nok). Khun Nok brought his own sculpture work to the foundry to be cast in bronze. Over time, Cavanagh came to realize that Nok is a very talented Thai sculptor who also has a very skilled team of workers. These employees are not only well versed in bronze sculpture but also know all the technical requirements of producing sculpture models.

Paul Cavanagh readily uses Khun Nok and his team’s services to produce models and enlargements for The Paul King Foundry. He will be presented with a small model and Nok then produces a full sized model. This full sized model is usually many times larger than the original and can be made in any requested material: plaster, wax, plastilene, water clay – whatever the sculptor client requests. When the sculptor is finished working on the full scale model, negative molds are made and a hard model is produced for sand casting or a rubber mold is made if the lost wax process is to be used. This relationship works very well because of Khun Nok’s knowledge and skill. The Paul King Foundry is able to use the process for many clients.

The Paul King Foundry works with Robert Shure from Skylight Studios in Boston who designed and made small models of memorials for Matthews Corporation. The Paul King Foundry then produced many large monuments in Thailand for Matthews Corporation and they were placed in many locations throughout the US and Canada. Additionally, the Paul King Foundry and Skylight Studios worked with a local RI businessman who lost his son at a very young age. The businessman wanted a bronze memorial made for his child. Shure made a small model for the family based on another memorial that had originally been made in Italy. Nok made a beautiful and faithful enlargement of Robert Shure’s model.

Khun Nok also worked directly with Boston sculptor Laura Baring-Gould and assisted her in making the enlargement of her Boston monument. Nok also helped her solve some technical issues as well. He was involved with the enlargement of a large bronze figure for an architect from CT which ultimately became part of the structure of a building in CT. Khun Nok worked with Karen Petersen from VT, Chinese/Canadian sculptor Chong Fa Chong, Kumari Nahappan from Singapore – making enlargements and molds for them. Nok is skilled at mold-making and is a specialist in enlarging. Nok is involved with numerous enlargements of monumental sized Buddha of up to 300 feet.

Khun Nok (far right) and Paul Cavanagh (near left) visit a newly installed Buddha monument with two people from Jiangxi Metal Craft

Khun Nok has also become a specialist in fine finishing. He spent a month visiting the Paul King Foundry five years ago. Nok insisted on spending all of his time in the fine finishing department at the foundry in Johnston, RI and learning from our experts during that time. Khun Nok studied formally at The Art Institute of Chang Rai, Thailand. Nok works very closely with National Thai Treasure Artist Professor Nantiwat of Silapakorn University who studied with Henry Moore. Khun Nok is bilingual in Thai and English while also speaking Mandarin (Chinese).

Paul Cavanagh and Khun Nok are currently working together on projects in China and Thailand. They are also involved with some public art projects in China. Nok is also the technical manager for quality control when Paul Cavanagh is not at the foundry in Nanchang, China.

For more information about our Asian affiliate please visit our sister site Sculpture Source Asia.

(401) 231.2540 | fine art bronze casting