Art is everywhere, and that includes your home. Many art lovers collect various pieces to add to their collection. There is a lot to consider. A lot of effort goes into choosing and maintaining art. Read on to learn everything you should know about owning a sculpture.
Find the Right Sculpture
You must first purchase the right item for your home. More than anything, when you own a sculpture, you must love how it looks and feels wherever you place it. For example, if someone gave you a sculpture or you randomly purchased one from a gallery, you may have no emotional connection to it. Unless you have strong feelings about the sculpture and adore the piece's materials, subject, and style, you won't want to display it in your home.
When looking for a sculpture, you should do a little research to guarantee the one you purchase matches the style of your home. You'll also want to ensure it is something you'll want to show off for years. To achieve this, you must learn about different styles and sculpting techniques, and you'll want to envision this piece in your home. Is it something you love right now, or will it quickly grow out of favor and end up collecting dust? Considerations such as these are essential when ensuring that you end up with the perfect piece for your collection.
Think About Longevity
In addition to the sculpture's style and subject matter, you should also consider the history and construction. In today's modern art world, there are plenty of sculpting techniques for artists to create beautiful pieces, but they may not be able to last the longest. For example, two different casting techniques can result in widely different products when constructing bronze sculptures. One will keep in your collection for much longer than the other.
The modern form of bronze casting is known as cold casting bronze, and artists practice it by mixing a polyester resin with bronze powder and different dyes and colors. The results are fairly similar to hot-cast bronze, but they can only last so long. These pieces will degrade much quicker, whereas hot cast bronze can last for centuries. Artists have practiced the technique of hot cast bronze sculpting for thousands of years, making the pieces much more valuable than the resin pieces that require extreme care to stay in good condition.
Learn About Maintenance
As mentioned in the last point, certain kinds of sculptures will require more care than others, but that doesn't mean there are pieces that require no care. Instead, every sculpture is precious and needs extreme care to ensure they keep the luster that made them so valuable in the first place. No two sculptures need exactly the same maintenance, but many of the same maintenance tips will apply to every sculpture.
With every piece of art, you should clean it regularly. Dust is an art piece's greatest enemy. Unfortunately, it somehow always finds a way to reach sculptures no matter where you place them. Keeping dust away is one of the first things you should do, but the actual removal of dust can become complicated. Depending on the material of the sculpture, you can only use specific cleaning materials and chemicals that keep your sculpture's sheen without compromising it.
Location, Location, Location
You must place your sculptures in proper, safe locations. The world is dangerous, and various hazards can put your sculpture in harm's way. For example, if your sculpture is in a high-traffic area, it could very easily fall or tip over if someone runs into it. This risk factor is why you should place your sculpture in an area where it can still have a lot of attention from guests while also staying away from accidents.
In addition to accidents, you must also consider factors such as light. Light is also one of art's worst enemies. Excessive UV rays can quickly damage an art piece beyond repair. You may want your art to sit somewhere well-lit so that you can appreciate all the finer details in the light, but this is a poor decision in the long run. Instead, you should have your art in a special location within your home or office that receives little to no natural light. In addition to light, you'll want to find a place with a stable temperature and dryness, as variability will lead to warping or even oxidation, depending on the sculpture's materials.
Art Future
On top of all the above considerations, you must consider your future in art ownership. For many, collecting art is not something they do on a whim. Instead, it is a hobby that takes up a lot of their time, and they'll never be satisfied with one piece. If you purchase a sculpture, you'll likely soon develop that same itch and want to invest in even more art pieces. Because owning a work of art is something you'll do for your whole life, you must think about the future when buying art. Do not make these decisions lightly.
For example, is the piece you purchased part of a collection, or is it a one-off? Will you invest in more works like it, or will you consider diversifying your collection with other art forms? Make considerations like this early so that you can end up with a cohesive art collection that fits you. Such a collection will be much more valuable and exciting to own than one that's a random mishmash of pieces with no coherent theme.
There’s a lot to know about owning a sculpture, but with these tips, you’ll end up with a wonderful sculpture that you won’t need to worry about. However, finding the perfect sculpture will still prove to be a challenge. Thankfully, there are resources available to help you find the perfect sculpture for you. If you’re interested in a hot cast bronze animal sculpture, you’re in the right place. At Jesse Nusbaum Art, we have multiple bronze animal sculptures that will look perfect in your home and stand the test of time!
