Sculpture has a long and storied history, and as time has passed, the art form has changed significantly. One of the earliest forms of sculpture, bronze sculpture, is not as commonly practiced today. Rising to take the place of hot casting bronze is “cold cast bronze,” also known as resin. Read on to learn the differences between bronze and resin sculptures.
Material
Obviously, the first and most crucial distinction between bronze and resin sculptures is the material. Artists construct a bronze sculpture by pouring hot metal into a mold, a process known as hot casting. Alternatively, resin sculptures are a mix of polyester, epoxy, or other resins poured into a mold. In this process—known as cold casting—the artist can mix the resin with bronze powder, giving the final product the appearance of bronze. While both sculptures may have a bronze look at the end of their construction, only one of them is an authentic bronze sculpture.
Physical Characteristics
As mentioned previously, the sculptures may look similarly bronze, but only one of them is an authentic bronze sculpture. There are multiple methods to test if the piece is authentically bronze, because of the physical differences between bronze and resin. Bronze is much heavier, so if the sculpture is lightweight, it is resin. Additionally, bronze is much colder and harder as well. Resin does not share these properties, meaning that if a sculpture is warm or you can scratch it with something, it is not a genuine bronze sculpture.
History
Another significant difference between bronze and resin is the history of the sculptures. Metal casting history is long and storied. The wax casting method has been around for centuries, but because it is complicated, time, and labor intensive, people don't practice the hot casting process as much today. To properly make bronze sculptures, you must have years of experience and skill. Cold casting resin, however, is a much simpler process as there is no “spruing” involved (that is, casting in the way that bronze is cast with molds), and the lightweight materials are much easier to work with.
After seeing the differences between bronze and resin sculptures, it's much easier to appreciate the art form and how much work goes into casting true bronze sculptures. It's a celebrated art form with few practitioners today, which is why seeing authentic sculptures is so exciting. Sculptor Jesse Nusbaum carries on the tradition with bronze animal sculptures for sale. These pieces have the same history that traditional bronze sculptures hold, which is why you should consider Jesse Nusbaum Art if you are looking for an authentic piece for your collection.
