abstract Archive - Wiebke Bader

1. April 202224. April 2022

Affordable Art Fair Brussels

Affordable Art Fair Brussels March 23-27 was wonderful. Brussels alone is worth a trip: the city center with its many buildings from the 18th century, the skyscrapers made of steel and glass, muslim shopping streets, beautiful parks and of course the many different people. The Tour and Taxis area where the fair takes place impresses with its buildings from the beginning of the 20th century. The city is so diverse that I would have loved to stay longer.

And then the art fair! It is always impressive to see how diverse art can be. How many ideas people have! Art has been made for thousands of years and new and unique things are still being created. A wonderland to marvel at. The Affordable Art Fair Brussels was well attended and I got to talk to many people. It was great fun to speak French again. I'd rather not know how many mistakes I made. Fortunately, the people I spoke to were good-natured and patient. It is difficult to describe the material and the creation of my sculptures in a foreign language. We laughed a lot together.

See you next year, Affordable Art Fair Brussels, I'll be back!

13. February 202224. April 2022

Little king without a crown

Skulptur mit dem Titel "Kleiner König ohne Krone"

A little king without a crown came to me as a surprise guest. In the workshop was a piece of plaster that I had long used as a pattern for various finishes and paints. On a whim I didn't throw it away, but attacked it with the file. I took off the varnish and gave in to the directions of my file. After a while I had this little abstract sculpture in my hands. Curious and optimistic Little king without a crown looks out into the world and reminds me of the old canon "It doesn't take much to be happy and whoever is happy is a king„.

The result of my work is always a surprise for me too.

5. September 20216. September 2021

Bronze sculpture Two Points

***Two Points***Bronze, Edition 2/9, about 36/30/27 cm

Only recently did I pick up the second cast of the bronze sculpture Two Points from the foundry. And it already found a new home again. Even if I'm happy that it is now pleasing someone else, I still miss it in the studio. This seemingly simple shape has a very special charisma.

It's a long way from the first drafts to the finished sculpture. The following photos of the making of the bronze sculpture Two Points show only a small part of this path.

Design in plaster

I put a layer of plaster over a core made of styrofoam. The shape of the sculpture has already been found, but the surface is still very roughly worked.

Plaster model

I keep applying plaster of paris and sanding it down until the shape is really right. When the plaster model is finished, I use it to create the negative form.

The mold

The mold consists of an inner, soft silicone form and an outer support form made of plaster of paris. It is made around the model. Its most important property is therefore that it can be removed from the model without destroying it. In this case, two parts are sufficient. I take the negative mold and model to the foundry to have a bronze cast made of the sculpture Two Points .

Raw casting of the sculpture

The production of a bronze cast is very complex. First, a wax model is created with the negative form. The sprues are attached to this from wax. Then the wax model is repeatedly dipped in a kind of thin clay soup and dried for several days. When the clay gets fired, the wax flows out, leaving a cavity in which the bronze can be poured.

Surface treatment of the bronze casting

After casting, the clay must be knocked off on the outside and inside. Holes have to be cut in a closed shape like this so that the clay on the inside can be removed. Then the holes are welded shut again. I took on the surface treatment of the bronze sculpture Two Points with file and sandpaper. I like to work by hand because it gives me a better feel for the smoothness and tension of the surface.

Patinating the bronze sculpture Two Points

For the final surface treatment, I bring the sculpture back to the foundry. Patinating is an art in itself. With the help of various chemicals, the bronze reacts and changes its color. In this case, the Art foundry Kollinger brought out a beautiful red-brown color.

28. July 202116. August 2021

Art salon in Constance

Wiebke Bader, „Bewegt“, Messing, 80/65/56 cm

Der ARTe Kunstsalon in Konstanz war großartig. Das Bodenseeforum bot gleichzeitig einen herrlichen Blick auf den Bodensee und den Genuss der Kunstausstellung. Meine beiden Skulpturen In Harmony and Moving hatten einen schönen Platz vor der großen Fensterfront. Der weite Raum ließ sie wunderbar zur Geltung kommen. Während sich draußen Sonne und Regen abwechselten, wirkten die Figuren im unterschiedlichen Licht immer wieder anders. Ich habe unzählige Fotos davon gemacht. Es war auch für mich faszinierend, sie in diesem großen Raum zu erleben.

My new sculpture Moving made its debut at the ARTe art salon in Konstanz. I was always happy to see it in this light and in this place. I am very curious to see where it will finally find its place.

Wiebke Bader, „Im Einklang“, 114/54/58 cm

Wiebke Bader, „Kreisend“ und „Freund I und II“

Above all, the conversations with visitors and colleagues at the ARTe art salon in Constance were a great enrichment for me. And so I am now full of anticipation for the next exhibition: At the ARTe Wiesbaden my sculptures can be seen again from September 10th to 12th, 2021. my sculptures vom 10. bis 12. September 2021 wieder zu sehen sein.

15. January 20216. September 2021

At the end of a long life

At the end of a long life was featured at the online exhibition On being by Sculptors Allinace in New York. For the panel talk about the exhibition, I tell you how this piece was created: where I found the wood, how I designed the shape, which tools I used and which supposed disappointment ultimately defines the special character of the sculpture.

Link to the youtube-video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGY5wq0jP8E

The wood was given to me by friends. Their cherry tree had lost a branch. They had already sawed into firewood when I discovered it. At the beginning I design a new sculpture with a small piece of modeling clay. Then I saw the wood into shape with the chainsaw, using the clay model as a template. At one point the piece comes to life. I put the model aside and let the lines and curves of the wood guide me. This part of the job is what I enjoy most because it is no longer my mind but my soul that takes the lead. At the same time, however, the most exhausting part of my journey is with a new piece.

I switch from chainsaw to file and then to sandpaper. I love running my hands over the smooth surfaces and following the lines of the piece. This pleasure always seduces me to strive for perfection. In this case, the perfection was destroyed when the wood dried, as small cracks opened and distorted the smooth surfaces. At first I was disappointed, but soon this became the feature I value most about this piece because it reminds me of an old person.

Life inflicts physical and emotional wounds on us. In other places it grinds us smooth, makes us gentle. Everything about a person is a testimony to his life. The way we run, the way we hold our heads, the arching of our backs, the wrinkles on our faces: all of this tells of the difficulties we faced, how we dealt with them and how we live today.

So the name for this piece came naturally: At the end of a long life it shows both wounds and smoothness, like we do as humans.