Lenny Peters Foundation Sculpture by Metropolitan Galleries Inc
Having a vision is one thing, but to bring that vision into reality and help people around the globe takes great diligence and patience. For Lenny Peters Foundation, this custom bronze sculpture equipped with a stark white epoxy patina of a hand holding the earth is the finishing garnish to decades of enthusiasm and hard work.
Metropolitan Galleries was approached by Freeman Kennett Architects about the possibility of developing such a sculpture to incorporate into the building’s modern design. Of course, we jumped at the opportunity to be a part of such a fun project. One of the things that makes us unique is that we relate to our client’s passion and vision and grow just as attached to the project as they are.
The Architects submitted detailed renderings of the sculpture and we got to work. Metropolitan Galleries has spent the last 30 years working very closely with some of the best sculpture foundries in the industry. Fairly quickly, the project was off the ground and our artisans were carving the general shape of the sculpture from a clay-wax compound. Sculpture is one of the most painstaking executions of art to accomplish. It can take several weeks just to get the scale and shape accurate before the sculpting details can take place, and this is still part of the very first step to creating a bronze sculpture. Once the details of the clay sculpture are finalized and ready to proceed to the next step, rubber moulds of the clay sculpture are made, capturing every fine detail for casting. Now the casting is where the excitement comes in, liquid molten bronze is poured carefully into the rubber moulds and allowed to cure. After all of this, we are still far from the finished sculpture. Keep in mind this article gives a very general explanation on the Lost Wax Bronze Casting process. The process itself takes over two dozen steps to execute and can take eight to twelve weeks to complete.
Upon the final steps of casting and cleaning up the sections for assembly, the bronze sculpture starts to come to life as the sections are artfully and seamlessly brought together. Most bronze sculptures are finished with a chemical or fire-applied patina. Lenny Peters Foundation colors are white and blue, and the organization desired a stark white sculpture with silver lettering. This of course was easily done with immaculate perfection.
This project took nearly a year to complete from the starting point to installation. All in all, we are grateful to have been a part of such an exciting project for our neighbors in High Point, North Carolina. If you have questions or would like to explore the possibility of developing a custom sculpture, reach out to us at custom@metrogal.com or 1.800.929.1681