Drawings and Sculptures
by Olivier Duhamel

Lisez les souvenirs de guerre de mon beau père.

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Press release.
29 January 2008 

Bronze sculpture studio Open Day in Oneroa, Waiheke Island.

Brief: Olivier Duhamel and Jill Varani are pleased to invite Waiheke Island’s residents and visitors to discover their bronze sculptures and to visit their workshop on Saturday 9^th of February 2008 from 11am to 5pm  - 49 Church bay road, Oneroa.

Learn about the lost wax and ceramic shell techniques for making small bronze sculptures, view and purchase some of their most recent works. Complimentary refreshments. All welcome. Inquiries to 372 7220

50 years old Duhamel and 20 years old Varani have been working together since May last year. During this time they have been exploring the lost wax and ceramic shell techniques to make a number of small figurative bronze sculptures.
Duhamel and Varani share a common interest in figurative art and their inspiration comes largely from the female nude. They are both regular members of the Catherine Mitchell Life Drawing Group in Ostend, Waiheke Island.
Olivier’s bronze works are now sold in galleries across the country but also in Sydney, Melbourne and Paris while Jill is promoting her creations in her native Colorado.
 


The pair work out of a garage in Oneroa where Olivier has established a small home foundry. They are opening their workshop to show their work and share their experience with the local community, fellow Island artists, art enthusiasts and collectors, art merchants, members of the media and of course, to visitors to Waiheke. Duhamel and Varani will be demonstrating and explaining the entire process of making a bronze sculpture, from modeling in clay, wax or plasticine, making a wax duplicate, building a ceramic mold, melting and pouring the metal, cleaning and refining the “raw” cast to finally applying a patina to the finished sculpture.

Bronzes are often cast in small series of 3 to 12 copies. Yet every cast in a series is an original piece as it is manually reworked out of the mould and has a different patina applied. Many of Duhamel’s and Varani’s works will be available for purchase on the day. (cash or cheques only, no EFTPOS )

Sculptors who cast their bronze themselves are a rare breed. Most artists prefer to contract out this complex and difficult task to professional foundries. Incidentally, we know of as many as three such founders on Waiheke Island. Casting their own sculptures allows them to keep their cost down and to maintain full control over the entire creative process.
Jill Varani (www.jillianvarani.co.nz) is the youngest of the three and moved to the Island from Colorado in 2006. She has been an apprentice and assistant with Duhamel and will be starting a degree of Fine Art at Elam in 2008. The other two are Olivier Duhamel (www.duhamel.bz ) and the more experienced Oliver Stretton-Pow. (www.ospx.net ) Coincidentally, in addition to sharing the same name, trade and place of residence, both Olivier Duhamel and Oliver Stretton-Pow have parents leaving 20 km from each other in the Dordogne region of France. French born Duhamel has been a New Zealander since 1991 and first arrived on the Island in 1986. He and his wife have lived in Oneroa with their three children since 2002.

Olivier Duhamel discovered the ancient art of bronze casting during a workshop conducted by the famous New Zealand sculptor, founder and alchemist David Reid (home.c2i.net/metaphor/ )  in February 06. People interested to attend such a workshop with David Reid can register interest at the Open Day.

Bronze casting is a 3000 year old technology that has never really been perfected. For both Duhamel and Varani, this Open Day marks the end of their initial apprenticeship during which they have acquired the basics skills that will allow them to express themselves more freely in the future. Essentially, they have discovered that they need to become experts in all aspects of their trade, modeling, wax working, mold making, foundry, chemistry, welding and have learned that with another 20 to 30 years of persistent hard work they may eventually become master of their craft and one day, perhaps, deserve the title of “artist”. Look forward for their next Open Day in 2009.

© Copyright Olivier Duhamel 2003-2009