His initial interest in painting shifted to sculpture during
graduate school. He studied with Julius Schmidt at the University
of Iowa, earning the M.F.A in 1980.
After
teaching sculpture at Marycrest College in Davenport, Maxon
set up his own backyard foundry, MAX-CAST. MAX-CAST has subsequently
grown to become commercial art foundry and gallery in Kalona,
Iowa. At the foundry, he divides his time between producing
his own ware and that of his partners and clients.
A restless and eclectic tinkerer, Maxon relishes the practically
limitless range of materials and techniques in sculpture.
"Ruins have always fascinated me with their mute narratives
and revelations of structure, moving from closed to open forms.
Molding and casting allows for the creation of brand new ruins."
An
appreciation of the natural world and an empathy for animals
characterizes the art of Doris Park. Her charming,
beautiful bronzeand iron sculptures often portray unusual
or unappeciated animals, such as snapping turtles or toads.
But the wonderful detail and accuracy of her work creates
a level of realism which is almost unbelievable, and the character
of the individual animals, as well as their own special beauty,
is readily discernable.
Doris
Park has enjoyed drawing, painting, and sculpture since early
childhood. Primarily self-taught, she became interested in
metal casting while studying at the University of Minnesota.
Our
sculpture is essentially hand made in classic durable materials:
cast iron, bronze, and aluminum.
A
Word About our Stuff
Cast
iron is an old, long lived material which, unlike steel, will
not dissolve into rusty flakes. The Chinese made huge cast
iron pieces 5000 years ago which are still in existence. Cast
iron is the stuff of manhole covers and fire hydrants, but
also of fine sculpture, as seen especially in nineteenth century
Germany.
Bronze, of course, is the classic sculptor's metal (not to
be confused with "bonded bronze," which is powdered metal
embedded in plastic resin). We eschew bonded bronze, using
nothing but the real thing melted and poured at 1900 to 2300
degrees F. Our alloy is a silicon bronze (92 percent copper,
4 per- cent silicon, and 4 percent zinc).
We
also use aluminum where it is appropriate for weight and color.
Our two basic molding systems axe resin-bonded sand and ceramic
shell investment casting - with lots of variations and combinations.
After the molds are broken off each casting, finishing begins
with a good deal of meticulous hand grinding, sanding, and
polishing. Finally patinas are applied with heat and chemicals
to color and protect raw metals.
Some
pieces are done in limited editions, in other words, we guarantee
that only a certain number will be produced, e.g. 100. Each
piece in that edition is signed by the artist, dated at its
conception, and given its own serial number, e.g. 23/100,
24/100-100/100. At that point the pattern from which the molds
are made is destroyed (or in the case of lost wax pieces,
the rubber mold in which the wax patterns were made is destroyed).
So act soon, quantities are guaranteed to be limited!
Other
pieces are done in series. No two pieces within a series are
alike, but all are similar, made with the same techniques
but with significant and obvious differences. We'll keep making
them as long as there's a demand.
Plane
Fish
