Both ancient temple builders and modern-day bronze sculptors share one common goal: to create a work of art that will endure for centuries to come. These ancient builders were motivated to create temples and other structures that would last for centuries, while the modern sculptors want their works of art to be remembered for generations to come.
There are, however, certain types of goods that are created with a timescale in mind that is very different from the others. For example, software that will become obsolete in three years, furniture that will last a decade, and buildings that will be demolished and replaced within a lifetime are all created with a certain timescale in mind, even if they are not explicitly described that way. Also, there are certain types of goods that are created with a timescale in mind that is very different from the others. For instance, art that is created with the knowledge that it will outlive the people who created it. The ancient temple builder and the contemporary bronze sculptor are both working in this second category.
The great religious monuments of the ancient world, such as Karnak, the Parthenon, and Angkor Wat, were constructed with the intention of lasting for an era, rather than just a single generation. These structures were built with the materials and precision that would allow them to last for centuries to come.
Bronze has the same quality of intention. A sculptor who chooses to work in bronze has selected a material that has survived for millennia. The bronzes of ancient Greece, the Tang dynasty horses, and the medieval bronzes that are found in churches across Europe are all examples of the durability of bronze. The choice of bronze, therefore, is a statement about time: bronze is a material that is intended to last for much longer than the sculptor who creates the work. For Bronze Animal Sculptures, contact www.gillparker.com/bronze-animal-sculptures-limited-edition-to-buy/
This change in knowledge affects the way in which sculptors work on their art pieces. While most sculptors do not think explicitly about the millennia that their sculptures will last, the knowledge of that time frame does give them a certain seriousness in their work.
The builders of the temples dressed the stones that were to be buried in the foundations of the buildings with the same care as the stones that would be visible to the public. The bronze sculptor finishes the surfaces nobody now sees. Both are working for an audience they’ll never meet, and the permanence of the items that they create is the weight that they carry while performing their work.