Customer Reviews

Carole A. Feuerman: Sculpture

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Bodycasting is a truly beautiful art form. Taking an impression of a model and then using it like a canvass does not diminish the outcome of the work. A photographer takes an existing image... and through his "eye" and his technical skill...it become a work of art.
Do not diminish the work of Feuerman and others in the field of lifecasting. We (the living) are the sculptures in life... immortalizing our own image and then duplicating it in metals, plasters or fiberglass gives the artists the opportunity to use this medium in ways you can only imagine. And isn't that what it's all about? George Segal sure thought so. There is a huge difference between using a home kit for a quick cast of a child's hands and the same material used by artists. The "eye" of the artist sees far differently than just the technician. Life is sculptural form... Feuermans bronze pieces deserve admiration.

There are few writers capable of making sculpture breathe-- Dena Merriam does just that. While many art books are heavy-handed and pompous, Merriam writes as if caressing the work, touching it as her own. Each photograph is taken with exquisite taste, and highlights the craftsmanship and genius of the artist. This book reaches far beyond the halls of academia and the narrow tunnels of critics; it is for anyone who appreciates the aesthetics of life-- the smell and touch of sculpting humanity.

I learned of Carol from a professor in a sculpture foundry class. Her sculptures are beautiful, but I was disappointed to learn that they are cast from life. The larger ones are made by a 5 axis carving machine that enlarges the life cast to the desired size. There is stil a lot of work involved in finishing the clay coat on the machine carved foam. As a sculptor myself who does not use life casts in my portrait busts I feel like using a body cast is like cheating.

Carole Feuerman's book on sculpture is actually a book on body casting. There is a difference. While she is obviously a skilled technician she has NOT sculpted the figures that are photographed in her book. Let the reader be aware before he or she buys.

This text is a must for everyone in the art world. Feuerman is a well known artist and has out-done herself this time!

I saw a review of the book and I thought that it was very good