Sculpture

Custom Designed

Ginkgo Bonsai Tree

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Details
  • Price: On Request »
  • Dimensions: 84" x 72" x 72"
  • Construction: 2004. Forged and cast silicon bronze, stone.
  • Description:

    The bronze bonsai gingko tree was a year in the making. The client initially approached me with an opportunity to create a sculptural piece for a blank exterior wall on their house.

    The concept soon became 3 dimensional in nature and evolved into a freestanding tree piece that drew upon the fascinating leaf shapes of the ancient Gingko Tree, coupled with my interest in the Japanese art of Bonsai.

    The first step was to create a forged steel armature and organize the branches in space. Clay was then pressed over the armature, creating a highly modeled skin that reflected all the bark-like characteristics of the gingko tree. The completed superstructure was then handed over to the foundry for casting in bronze. Meanwhile I had scanned numerous real gingko leaves and imported them into a CAD program for final modifications and vector plotting. The files were then precision processed using water-jet cutting technology. Now the real chore began.

    Forging 700 realistic looking leaves took not only a great deal of time but resolve. Next, patience was tested as the delicate leaves were carefully welded to the branches. Setting the finished sculpture into its rock housing for the first time was a nostalgic moment and the realism of the piece was a complementary fit for the client's elegantly landscaped environment.