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John Denning
Reclining Figure with Bird bronze pedestal sculpture

2003

About the Item

Commissioned to create a life-sized reclining figure, John Denning made two maquettes during a stay in a medieval hamlet in France. This is the cast of one of these wax maquettes, finished in a dark bronze patina. Smooth surfaces contrast with highly textured areas, as the figure seems to emerge from a block heavily worked with drips and carvings. As if a ruin herself, the figure’s arm and leg seem partially eroded away, while a bird lighted on her hand connects the sculpture to the present. Edition #2 of 12 was just cast in 2021 and is now available. Other patinas are available by commission. The next edition number (#3 of 5) of the full-size bronze is also available by commission, titled "Caravella Y Falcon." Please contact the gallery for more information. John Denning became fascinated by the human figure during his days as a student at the Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles. His background in the arts is rooted in painting and drawing, with a particular exploration of watercolor. The work of Nathan Olivera, Richard Diebenkorn, and Francis Bacon served as inspiration in the two-dimensional medium, while sculptors such as Manuel Neri and Stephen De Staebler began to emerge as gateways to the third dimension. Denning's sculptural figures, often female, oscillate in time and space as they simultaneously appear to be emerging and withdrawing in ruin.
  • Creator:
    John Denning (American)
  • Creation Year:
    2003
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 10.5 in (26.67 cm)Width: 17 in (43.18 cm)Depth: 5 in (12.7 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Glen Ellen, CA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU7128678992

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