PROCESS
The bronze metals used in the process are mostly composites of copper, tin and sometimes other alloys. There is only a certain number of pieces made from each mould then the mould is destroyed so that they remain original.
Creating each piece
Rosi builds an armature of aluminium wire (of different thicknesses depending on the size of the work).She then uses a soft wire gauze to outline the piece. Inside they can be filled with newspaper or wool for example to fill the piece out. As the clay is worked it comes out of her hands and takes on its own spirit to become what it wants to be in a stance of its own making.
The Armature is anchored onto a plywood base at a height that can be worked on. Rosi likes to work at twilight, as the dim light sets the piece free.
In the Foundry
The clay model once completed is taken to the foundry to have a silicon mould made of it, Then a coat of plaster is put over it to fix it so that it doesn’t move. Then it is coated with as many layers of wax that it needs to make it strong but still hollow inside. It is then dipped and dusted with silica several times and left to harden.
It is then put in a kiln at a very high temperature to melt the wax. The bronze is heated and poured into the mould with a process that minimised air bubbles so there are no blemishes.
Finishing touches
Once out of the kiln, the outer mould is broken off to reveal a compete copy of the work in shining bronze. For each piece a patina (like a glaze) can be applied to make the desired colour. Finally a wax polish is put on the final work. Larger pieces can be created by scaling up the original maquette.
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