pietrasanta, italy is an art and an artisan center. a place to experience art. and, a place to learn about the process of making art.
the town center not only is filled with art galleries, but also is an international contemporary sculpture park (parco internazionale della scultura contemporanea). about 40 sculptures are either permanently installed or temporarily exhibited in the town center. additional sculptures are installed in the surrounding towns of capezano monte, fiumetto, and tonfano.
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map | parco internazionale della scultura contemporanea | pietrasanta, italy
pietrasanta is located in the foothills of the apuan alps, in lucca province, in the versilia region of tuscany, about 125 km (80 mi) west of florence
photo credit comune di pietrasanta
many of the permanent installations were donated by artists who have collaborated with the local artisan workshops that specialize in casting metal, carving marble, firing ceramics, and fabricating intarsia, mosaics, or other materials.
some of the artists, including the famous colombian sculptor, fernando botero, have studios in pietrasanta.
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fernando botero | il guerriero (the warrior) | bronze | 1992
piazza matteotti | pietrasanta, italy
fonderia (foundry): massimo del chiaro | pietrasanta, italy
photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace
when we visited fonderia artistica mariani (mariani artistic foundry), two botero sculptures were in the process of being patinaed. (for the artists’ protection, our hostess, monica, requested that we not take any photographs inside the foundry.)
fonderia mariani | via tre luci, 51 | pietrasanta, italy
photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace
at fonderia mariani, everything is handmade by master artisans, who each specialize in one phase of the lost wax casting process.
lost wax casting process
model | the artist provides the foundry with a three dimensional model, which can be scaled to any size.
mold | the scaled model is used to create a resin mold, which can be used multiple times.
copy | a wax copy of the model is made from the resin mold. then, the wax copy is detailed. often, with the artist’s participation or supervision.
mold | the wax copy is covered in a ceramic shell. then, the ceramic shell is heated in the furnace. the wax melts, but the ceramic mold remains intact. the ceramic mold can only be used one time.
cast | molten metal is poured into the ceramic mold. the metal solidifies as it cools. large sculptures are cast in multiple sections from multiple molds.
finish | the ceramic molds are removed from the castings. then, the castings are cleaned, welded, assembled, and finished.
patina | chemicals are applied to patina the metal of the finished sculpture.
the botero warrior was cast by another foundry, fonderia d’arte massimo del chiaro (massimo del chiaro art foundery). but, fonderia mariani cast the bronze flame on via oberdan by american sculptor helaine blumenfeld, OBE, who also has a studio in pietrasanta.
helaine blumenfeld, OBE | flame | bronze | 2015
via oberdan | pietrasanta, italy
fonderia (foundry): fonderia mariani | pietrasanta, italy
photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace
during our visit, fonderia mariani was testing patinas for a white bronze myomu (key of dream) sculpture by japanese artist kan yasuda, another sculptor with a pietrasanta studio. a white marble version of the yasuda sculpture is installed in the piazza della stazione.
kan yasuda | myomu (key of dream) | carrara marble | 2004
piazza della stazione | pietrasanta, italy
laboratorio (workshop): giorgio angeli | querceta, italy
photo via kan yasuda
the white marble sculpture was carved by studio di sculptura d’arte in marmo e pietre giorgio angeli (giorgio angeli studio of art sculpture in marble and stone). when we arrived for our visit to studio angeli, which is located in the nearby town of querceta, our hostess, marzia, was on the phone with kan yasuda.
studio angeli | via madonnina 256/b2 | querceta, italy
photo via giorgio angeli
studio angeli incorporates modern technology into the traditional marble carving process.
marble carving process
model | the artist provides the laboratorio dei marmi (marble workshop) with a three dimensional model, which can be scaled to any size. studio angeli now uses a digital scanner to scale the artist’s model.
material | the workshop helps the artist select a block of marble or stone either from their inventory or from a local quarry. after the block is selected, the workshop squares it off and cuts it to size using a monolama or a diamond wire saw.
rough (sbozzatura) | the workshop roughly carves the sculpture out of the block. instead of carving the block by hand, studio angeli now uses a robot that is programmed to carve the block mechanically.
trim (smodellatura) | the sculpture is hand trimmed by a master artisan using a pointing machine to transfer the proportions and the details from the scaled model to the rough sculpture.
finish (rifinitura) | a master artisan hand finishes the trimmed sculpture by grinding and polishing the surface. often, with the supervision of the artist.
pietrasanta is also a center for tool, mold, and model makers. the collection of the museo dei bozzetti (sketch museum) includes about 700 models and maquettes (reduced scale models) of sculptures, by about 350 artists, that were made by local artisan workshops.
models and maquettes
museo dei bozzetti | via sant’agostino | pietrasanta, italy
photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace
including, a plaster maquette of another yasuda marble sculpture, that was carved by studio angeli, and is now in the collection of the sakata city museum of art, sakata, japan.
kan yasuda | shyosei (volare) | plaster maquette | 1991
museo dei bozzetti | pietrasanta, italy
laboratorio formatura (form workshop): sirio navari | pietrasanta, italy
photo via museo dei bozzetti
sculptures by korean artist and pietrasanta resident, park eun sun, are on exhibition until 29 october 2017 in the chiostro di sant’augustino (cloisters of saint augustine), the former convent where the museo dei bozzetti is now located, in the piazza duomo, and in the nearby town of tonfano.
park eun sun | piazza duomo | pietrasanta, italy | 11 august-29 october 2017
organized by vecchiato arte | padova and pietrasanta, italy
photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace
exploring the parco della scultura in the pietrasanta town center is an inspiring experience. there are sculptures everywhere. in the squares. on the streets. at the roundabouts. in the car park!
junkyu muto | il cerchio del vento (the wind circle) | marble | 2003
parcheggio (car park) piazza statuto | pietrasanta, italy
laboratorio (workshop): ettore mariani | pietrasanta, italy
photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace
rinaldo bigi | serenata (serenade) | carrara marble | 2005
largo padre thomas mcglynn | pietrasanta, italy
laboratorio (workshop): umberto togni | valdicastello, italy
photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace
david jungquist | l’onda (the wave)
via capriglia | pietrasanta, italy
laboratorio (workshop): studio stagetti | pietrasanta, italy
photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace
eugenio riotto | amanti alati (lovers lure) | bronze | 2011-2012
via oberdan | pietrasanta, italy
fonderia (foundry): fonderia versiliese | pietrasanta, italy
photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace
ron mehlman | sole scapola (sunscape)
via capriglia | pietrasanta, italy
laboratorio (workshop): studio stagetti | pietrasanta, italy
photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace
choi yoon sook | ego | travertine | 2007
via capriglia | pietrasanta, italy
laboratorio (workshop): studio stagetti | pietrasanta, italy
photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace
nall | quadro di pace (peace frame) | bronze and mosaics | 2006
via mazzini | pietrasanta, italy
fonderia (foundry): fonderia versiliese | pietrasanta, italy
laboratorio mosaico (mosaic workshop): poli & da prato | pietrasanta, italy
photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace
pietrasanta: portale d’art (art portal)