Jim Rennert Think Big

Jim Rennert was born in 1958 and grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and Salt Lake City, Utah. After 10 years of working in business, Rennert started sculpting in 1990. He had his first bronze sculptures cast by a foundry in Lehi, Utah, in 1992. He began exhibiting his work in commercial galleries in 1993. Working closely with the foundry in Lehi, Rennert learned to execute all aspects of the lost wax method of casting bronze. After acquiring the necessary equipment for the production of his work, Rennert now works out of his home studio in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Figurative sculptures mix reality and imagination, with the most common muse being the human body. Animals are also inspirations for these sculptures, along with forms found in nature.

While figurative sculpture dates back over 35,000 years, the term came into popularity in the 20th century to distinguish it from abstract art. It was aligned with the Expressionist movement in that many of its artists portrayed reality but in a nonnaturalistic and emotional way. In the 1940s, Alberto Giacometti — a Swiss-born artist who was interested in African art, Cubism and Surrealism — created now-iconic representational sculptures of the human figure, and after World War II, figurative sculpture as a movement continued to flourish in Europe.

Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon were some of the leading figurative artists during this period. Artists like Jeff Koons and Maurizio Cattelan propelled the evolution of figurative sculpture into the 21st century.

Figurative sculptures can be whimsical, uncanny and beautiful. Their materials range from stone and wood to metal and delicate ceramics. Even in smaller sizes, the sculptures make bold statements. A bronze sculpture by Salvador Dalí enhances a room; a statuesque bull by Jacques Owczarek depicts strength with its broad chest while its thin legs speak of fragility. Figurative sculptures allow viewers to see what is possible when life is reimagined.

Browse 1stDibs for an extensive collection of figurative sculptures and find the next addition to your collection.