Sculpture

Composed of torch-cut and polychromed steel, fused bronze, solvent dyes, and glass enamel, the sculpture consists of a constellation-like arrangement of slender vertical rods surmounted by iridescent forms suggestive of suspended celestial fragments. Varying in height and scale, the clustered elements create a rhythmic vertical composition.

The contrast between the dark linear framework and the vividly colored enamel surfaces is central to the work, with tones ranging from deep blues and violets to bright orange. The textured forms evoke meteorites, planetary matter, or stellar debris, while the open composition allows light and space to move freely through the sculpture.

Like a number of Bearden’s sculptural works, the present example possesses a subtle sonic element; slight movement activates the rods and produces a delicate resonance reminiscent of chimes.

James Bearden (American, b. 1964) is an abstract sculptor whose work explores the intersection of sculpture, architecture, and functional design. Working primarily in metal, Bearden has produced a number of ongoing series, including Cathedral, Assemblage, Voids, and Lunar Blooms. His work is held in corporate, municipal, and prominent private collections.

Composed of torch-cut and polychromed steel, fused bronze, solvent dyes, and glass enamel, the sculpture consists of a field of slender vertical rods surmounted by iridescent, molten-like forms suggestive of celestial fragments suspended in motion. Both sculptural and architectural in conception, the work combines remarkable visual lightness with a strong spatial presence. Slight movement activates the composition, producing a subtle resonance reminiscent of chimes.

An elongated variation of Bearden’s “Meteor Storm” series, the present work functions equally effectively as a freestanding sculpture or as a screen or room divider. The rhythmic arrangement of vertical elements creates shifting transparencies and changing visual density depending on viewpoint and light, giving the work a dynamic and constantly evolving presence within an interior.

Particularly effective in contemporary architectural spaces, the sculpture introduces movement, texture, and an atmospheric quality without overwhelming its surroundings. Its open construction allows it to define space while maintaining visual permeability, making it especially versatile in both residential and commercial settings.

James Bearden (American, b. 1964) is an abstract sculptor whose work explores the intersection of sculpture, architecture, and functional design. Working primarily in metal, Bearden has produced a number of ongoing series, including Cathedral, Assemblage, Voids, and Lunar Blooms. His work is held in corporate, municipal, and prominent private collections.

From James Bearden’s Cathedral series, the work is composed of stacked and suspended architectural forms arranged within a vertical framework. Open cubic elements and projecting linear forms create shifting negative spaces throughout, while the textured blackened steel surface contributes significantly to its character.

Industrial materials and fabrication techniques are combined with architectural forms and heavily worked surfaces, a recurring theme throughout Bearden’s work.

James Bearden (American, b. 1964) is an abstract sculptor whose work explores the intersection of sculpture, architecture, and functional design. Working primarily in metal, Bearden has produced a number of ongoing series, including Cathedral, Assemblage, Voids, and Lunar Blooms. His work is held in corporate, municipal, and prominent private collections.

From James Bearden’s Cathedral series, Mystical Galaxy Chimes explores rhythm, balance, and architectural form through a linear composition of patinated and gilded steel accented with vivid enamel elements. Rising from a substantial steel base, the work combines textured cast surfaces with slender blackened rods and geometric forms suspended in space.

The contrast between the gilded surfaces and the saturated blue enamel details is central to the composition, while the open framework and asymmetrical arrangement recall both architectural scaffolding and musical notation. The work also possesses a subtle sonic quality, suggesting the resonance of chimes suspended in space. As with much of Bearden’s work, the sculpture reflects an interest in structure, materiality, and process.

James Bearden (American, b. 1964) is an abstract sculptor whose work explores the intersection of sculpture, architecture, and functional design. Working primarily in metal, Bearden has produced a number of ongoing series, including Cathedral, Assemblage, Voids, and Lunar Blooms. His work is held in corporate, municipal, and prominent private collections.

From James Bearden’s Pod series, the spherical form is elevated on a slender stem support and composed of densely clustered organic elements radiating outward in all directions. The surface displays areas of deep green patination and muted gilding, recalling botanical and mineral forms.

The hinged pod opens to reveal an interior storage compartment and may also be removed from the stand and displayed independently. As with much of Bearden’s work, industrial materials and fabrication techniques are combined with heavily worked surfaces and organic forms.

James Bearden (American, b. 1964) is an abstract sculptor whose work explores the intersection of sculpture, architecture, and functional design. Working primarily in metal, Bearden has produced a number of ongoing series, including Cathedral, Assemblage, Voids, and Lunar Blooms. His work is held in corporate, municipal, and prominent private collections.
“James Bearden,” Interior Design Magazine, January 2017; Feature on 1stdibs; Feature article in DSM Magazine.

A striking and unusual pair of polychrome majolica parrots, each modeled perched atop a naturalistically rendered tree trunk with holly leaves and berries. Richly glazed in deep emerald green and oxblood red, the birds display exceptional surface detail throughout, from the layered plumage and expressive faces to the vividly colored tails and textured bark bases.

The sculptural quality and bold palette are characteristic of the finest production associated with Hugo Lonitz & Co. of Neuhaldensleben, one of the leading German ceramic manufactories of the late nineteenth century, celebrated for its highly naturalistic majolica models of animals, birds, and botanical subjects. Founded in 1868, the firm gained international recognition for its inventive forms, richly saturated glazes, and technical sophistication, exhibiting widely throughout Europe and at major world’s fairs.

Highly sculptural in presence, the pair work equally well on brackets, consoles, or flanking a mantel, where their strong silhouettes and vibrant glazing can be fully appreciated.

Minor conservation to the tail feathers.

Hand-built stoneware relief sculpture with heavily textured surface and softly stratified glazes in muted tones of white, sand, grey, and pale blue. The composition possesses an architectural quality suggestive of eroded stone, ancient walls, or weathered fragments, balancing rugged surface activity with a strong sense of stillness and restraint. Impressed with the artist’s stamp.

Philp has spent more than five decades developing a highly individual ceramic practice centered around hand-built forms and complex, layered firing techniques. Working outside the constraints of the potter’s wheel, he constructs each work slowly and intuitively, applying thin layers of material over multiple firings to achieve surfaces of considerable depth and subtlety. His work often evokes archaeological fragments or ancient architectural remains while resisting direct narrative interpretation.

Born in 1941, Philp studied ceramics at Cardiff Art School and later devoted many years to the restoration of Llansôr Mill in Monmouthshire using traditional building methods and reclaimed materials. Since returning fully to ceramics, he has produced a body of work distinguished by its meditative quality, technical sophistication, and deeply tactile surfaces. Philp’s work is represented in numerous important collections, including the Musée des Beaux Arts, Montréal; the Cité de la Céramique, Sèvres; and the Musée Ariana, Geneva.

“In my work, for much of the last 25 years, I have been aiming for a sense of classical serenity, to evoke a certain feeling of timelessness.” — Paul Philp