skulptur Archive - Wiebke Bader

6. November 20227. November 2022

At the artist house in Ulm

Auf der Ausstellung "members only" im Künstlerhaus Ulm — Phoenix from the ashes, Bronze, about 39/23/20 cm

The exhibition "members only 04" at the artists house in Ulm turned out very, very nice. The works of Amanda Knapp, Renate Gaisser, Ige Rau and I harmonize fantastically. We work with completely different materials and techniques. It's hard to believe that we didn't know each other before and didn't coordinate the selection of the works.

With the support of colleagues from the artists house, the installation was a great pleasure. We were amazed: nobody could have planned the compilation better. Telepathy must have been involved.

Absolutely worth seeing!

The exhibition "members only 04" is open until November 20th, 2022.
Thursday and Friday 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m
BBK Ulm, Künstlerhaus im Ochsenhäuser Hof, Grüner Hof 5, 89073 Ulm

9. October 20226. November 2022

Members only 04

members only im Künstlerhaus Ulm — Mitglieder der BBK Ulm zeigen einen Ausschnitt aus ihrem Schaffen.

Cordial invitation to the exhibition members only 04 !

Wiebke Bader | Renate Gaisser | Amanda Knapp | Inge Rau
We four members of the BBK Ulm show an excerpt from our work.

Where: At the Künstlerhaus, Ochsnhäuser Hof · BBK Ulm Grüner Hof 5 · 89073 Ulm
Grüner Hof 5 · 89073 Ulm

To the opening of the exhibition members only 04 on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. we cordially invite you and your friends. The artist talk will be conducted by Christian Greifendorf.

The exhibition is open October 28 – November 20, 2022
Thu 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. · Fri 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. · Sat 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. · Sun 11 a.m. – 4 p.m

The invitation card shows my sculpture "Whirl". It will be on display in a different alloy at this exhibition. Bronze can show itself in endless fascinating variations!

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.

18. July 20213. September 2021

I received a scholarship

Für die Weiterentwicklung dieser Skulptur habe ich ein Stipendium erhalten.

I received a scholarship! The Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg hat mir zur Förderung meines künstlerischen Vorhabens ein Stipendium bewilligt. Was für eine schöne Bestätigung meiner Arbeit. Ich habe mich riesig gefreut.

What does art have to do with research? The Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts puts it in a nutshell on its website: Kreativität ist die wichtigste Ressource des Hochtechnologielandes Baden-Württemberg.

What is my project?

Based on the existing model of the sculpture Life I would like to develop a series of sculptures that build up on one another. All sculptures will be about one meter high and will have a similar direction of movement.

With each new development step, the slender loops of the sculpture Life become fuller and eventually merge into a monolithic block. Each of the sculptures is clearly based on its predecessor, but has its very own charisma that can be associated with different phases of life:

The play of children, the swing of youth, the abundance of young adult life, the responsibility in mid-life, the calm of old age.

The grant from the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg enables me to concentrate on this series of sculptures over the next few months. I see that as a great gift and it makes me very happy.

11. July 202111. July 2021

Life-size sculpture In harmony

Life-size sculpture In Harmony can finally be seen as a model. It has been with me for almost two years. The sculpture started as a small wax model. This little sculpture was close to my heart and so I had it cast in bronze. As such, it can also be seen on my homepage .

In February 2020 I created In Harmony in Thailand as a large clay sculpture. As soon as I was back home, the pandemic picked up speed and I could no longer pursue the project in Thailand. The negatives of the model were therefore sent to Germany and arrived in Aalen at the beginning of 2021. Almost a year had passed since the start of the work.

In my workshop I have revised and refined the form that was developed in Thailand. In the past few months I have tried out a number of new methods and materials. This model was created from plaster of paris, PU foam, steel and paint.

My goal was to create a model that is light enough to be able to take with me to the exhibitions in Konstanz and Wiesbaden . At the same time, it should give a good impression of how the life-size sculpture In Harmony would look in bronze. As soon as I have found a specific site, I will have the sculpture cast in bronze.

A few days ago I was able to take a picture of the finished model from In Harmony for the first time. I am so happy to finally be able to show it!