Do you recognize these sculptures

[desertrock]

My wife and I are going through her father's things. He recently passed away.
He has some sculpture pieces that I have no familiarity with.
Any help identifying these is appreciated.

The horse is 22"H x 21"W x 8"D and veneered with small ivory (white, etched) and wood tiles. The medallions appear to be carved and painted on wood.
The weight and sound when tapped upon suggests that the inner core of the sculpture is a lightweight but solid wood.

The steel spider looking wall piece is made of aluminum. The pieces are welded together using a brass colored brazing rod.
It measures about 34" in diameter consistently around with a center thickness of about 6".

The last piece is a marble head. Obviously oriental and sets into (unattached with adhesive) an acrylic base. It is made from a solid piece of white marble. The marble very much resembles CO yule marble from Marble,CO. It has been exquisitely carved with beautiful detail.

None of the three pieces have any artist signature markings of any kind.

No documentation can be found for any of these pieces.

Any clues?

Thanks.

Mark

[Nelson]

Hi Mark,

Just an opinion: probably, one more clue that they ain`t sculptures just nice crafts is the lack of signatures. Not necesarily, but the evident craft look confirms it to me.

[desertrock]

Originally Posted by Nelson

Hi Mark,

Just an opinion: probably, one more clue that they ain`t sculptures just nice crafts is the lack of signatures. Not necesarily, but the evident craft look confirms it to me.

The craftsmanship in all three upon close examination clearly places them beyond the realm of craft.
This is an all too common error by artists. I see it often at the art shows and with works I have purchased. Illegible or non-existent signatures and dates.

Mark

[mantrid]

Originally Posted by desertrock

The craftsmanship in all three upon close examination clearly places them beyond the realm of craft.
Mark

?? a confusing statement. Surely craft requires craftsmanship.
Whereas art-sculpture doesnt

[desertrock]

Originally Posted by mantrid

?? a confusing statement. Surely craft requires craftsmanship.
Whereas art-sculpture doesnt

Oh, I am soooo sorry.Perhaps I should have stated it as " The superior level of craftsmanship" or something suggestive of that concept. get it? All constructive art and especially sculpture is often distinguished and graded using that exact term. i hear it and use it often at the shows.
Go back to your dictionary or thesaurus.

[Mack]

"Craft... Art?...Art... Craft?" Christ!... deal the cards!!

[desertrock]

Originally Posted by Mack

"Craft... Art?...Art... Craft?" Christ!... deal the cards!!

Amen Brother!

[mantrid]

Originally Posted by desertrock

Oh, I am soooo sorry.Perhaps I should have stated it as " The superior level of craftsmanship" or something suggestive of that concept. get it? All constructive art and especially sculpture is often distinguished and graded using that exact term. i hear it and use it often at the shows.
Go back to your dictionary or thesaurus.

Are you saying craft does not require a superior level of craftmanship? Craft that has no craftmanship is just tat. Whereas Ive seen alot of art sculptures in public galleries that requires no craftmanship yet they are considered great works.

[The Forge]

Great artists are great craftsmen.

[desertrock]

Originally Posted by The Forge

Great artists are great craftsmen.

You know what-forget about the pieces. Let's talk about the meaning of craft as it relates to the creation of sculpture/art/craft.
Who wants to go first?

Mark

[Mack]

Someone decides to make, say, an anatomically correct figure in clay. And they do. It's perfect but ,turns out, its boring. The 'Craft' is in shaping and forming the muscles, the features,etc. The 'Art' to me would be what he does with all that 'Craft'. the gesture, the subject, the thing that blows you away.. The creator may be very into making everything just so, just right, but what separates the product of his labors from a work of 'Craft" is his vision, his originality, his going to a new place with his 'Craft". And I would exclude any funcionality of the product in the creation of 'Art'. A work of 'Art' doesn't have to do anything, just BE. So to create 'Art' : Talent plus a unique and fresh vision maybe. And the word 'Art' encompasses a wide spectrum of efforts and 'visions'; from the 'Schlock' to the 'Sublime'. Someone's Schlock is someone elses Sublime and viceversa. (Aint that the truth!)

[GlennT]

I don't accept functionality as an automatic disclaimer of being "art".

Imagine artistic genius at work to create a functional object, but then another entirely different culture, possibly in a time period far apart, sees this object but has no clue as to any sense of its function, or may not even consider it has one. Then, the eye of the beholder is able to perceive it entirely for its merits or lack of aesthetic value.

If approaching an object in this manner, unbiased by cultural associations, its aesthetic value speaks to one as art, or not, rather than being determined by definitions we contrive.

[mantrid]

Originally Posted by The Forge

Great artists are great craftsmen.

Not always, and less so in modern times. but I think great craft always requires great craftsmen/women

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by mantrid

Not always, and less so in modern times. but I think great craft always requires great craftsmen/women

I couldn`t agree more with you Mantrid. Cultural standards change and so do our perception. There`s probably more concense on what`s a good craft than what`s good art, matter of degree of subjectivity perhaps...

[scrapartoz]

Please forgive the heresy , but I think it is those without caft that condemn those who posess it.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by scrapartoz

Please forgive the heresy , but I think it is those without caft that condemn those who posess it.

Caft ?????

[KatyL]

They look like nice but typical souvenirs from a trip to the orient. Yes, they are nicely done, but they are mass produced using cheap labor, and so there is no "artist" per say, just a design, a foreman, and a bunch of low-wage individuals sitting around a table.

The divisions between arts (art/craft) are some times arbitrary. I have many crafts around the house that I display with pride and pleasure. And what about design? I love my Bertoia chairs. To me, they are art.

[scrapartoz]

Originally Posted by Nelson

Caft ?????

Sorry Nelson , Craft ( I havnt masterrd the splling yet.)