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The Art of Sculpture Is the Art of Illusion
"Ascension" Sculpture Is Study of Metal in Motion
Bronze Sculpture "Ascension" Elevates Body & Spirit
"The Jester" Sets Stage for Great Performances
Victor Issa Creates 12-Piece Liturgical Sculpture for World Conference

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The Art of Sculpture Is the Art of Illusion

Consider "Spring." When you see her, you'll almost swear she's breathing. In fact, if you're like virtually everyone else who first encounters this vibrant young woman, you'll nudge up to her, take a deep breath like she is doing, hold it then watch closely to see if she really moves. That's pretty startling behavior when you consider that "Spring" is…bronze.

Not only that, she is clothed in a frilly transparent chemise that clings to her body, yet flutters lightly in the breeze. The effect is simply sensational. So how does a sculptor create the illusion of "living" metal and wet fabric?

Talk to the artist, Victor Issa (pronounced EEsuh), a leading American sculptor who specializes in the figure in bronze and is the creator of "Spring." "Using live models is key to capturing realism and vitality," says Issa. "Plus it usually requires hundreds of hours of research and meticulous sculpting to achieve the desired effects. For some idealized compositions like 'Spring' several models may be involved because each has unique features — physical or emotional—that when combined optimize the form and feeling I want to portray."

According to Issa, it is possible to capture a person's persona in sculpture. "Much figurative sculpture looks like…well…sculpture," he said. "It's attractive and looks like a person, but it's obvious that the object is a cold, hard metal representation. The personality and energy of the subject is usually absent. It's a very difficult effect to achieve because so many variables are involved in creating the illusion of metal appearing 'alive' Those variables might include the model's form and size, the model's mood or attitude, and basic visual art elements including theme, texture, composition, drapery, the unique skills of the artist, as well as the bronze foundry."

The nude in art is as old as art itself, and was the earliest and most basic depiction of human life. However, often a more complex and aesthetic composition is achieved through the use of drapery, a dramatic design technique used frequently in all art forms. Properly placed, the dramatic (or subtle) lines of fabric enhance the grace, form and flow of a design. Moreover, examples from classical sculpture demonstrate how effectively drapery not only enhances but also "describes" the body. Indeed, in classical works (e.g., Michelangelo, da Vinci, Bernini, Rodin), it is generally easy to "see" the form and vitality of the body beneath the drapery although completely covered. The illusion is successful because the artists understand that fabric and clothing form to the figure, while the reverse is not true.

Another technique used to highlight the body is the illusion of "wet" fabric. The clinging-cloth effect accentuates an awareness of the form beneath— rather than detract from it—and although "covered", the natural beauty and elegance of the human form is optimized. This approach demands that the sculptor completes a perfect nude work first, then "applies" clothing meticulously and gracefully. That effect was a showstopper at a recent national sculpture show, as many people came to a standstill to marvel at "Spring" and ask the artist in astonishment, "How did you do that?"

Issa laughs, "One of my models is my wife, who wore the pure silk chemise for 'Spring' in the shower while I studied how the water molds and folds the fabric against her skin. There are many ways to create an illusion, some of them quite simple. Representational art isn't rocket science, however keen observation is critical, not to mention the exacting skill and patience required to simulate the illusion realistically. It's long, tedious work, especially since the piece can be viewed from all sides, the equivalent of 360 drawings combined to create one three-dimensional form."

"Ascension" Sculpture Is Study of Metal in Motion

Over the years skilled sculptors have developed many techniques to create the perception of varying physical and emotional states. Consider bronze, for example, a metal that is hard and heavy. How does the artist portray energy and motion in such a static medium?

Victor Issa, a leading sculptor with studios in Loveland, Colorado specializes in the figure and has created a series of new works based on dancers. Issa said, "To optimize the perception of physical movement and ever-changing expression that is characteristic of a dancer requires more than just the dynamic alignment of body parts. For example, when you analyze the appearance of a moving object as an instant in time, it looks blurred. Nothing appears to be in perfect focus, and the brain interprets that illusion as motion. Painters use rough and rapid brush strokes to convey the effect; photographers blur their subjects; and sculptors do the same thing. We sculpt a textured surface to simulate the 'blur', thus the perception of movement of a figure in a leaping pose, for example, is enhanced by the addition of the 'blurred' surface."

Issa's sculpture, "Ascension" is an excellent example of the technique. Inspired by the fluid strength and grace of a modern dancer, its textured surface simulates movement. The piece is then finished in opaque patinas that emphasize the surface texture, further enhancing the effect of energy and motion.

Bronze Sculpture "Ascension" Elevates Body & Spirit

LOVELAND, CO—This artist community, nestled in the grandeur of the Colorado Front Range an hour's drive north of Denver, is home to many of the leading sculptors in America today. Many collectors of contemporary bronze sculpture believe that Victor Issa is one of the best in Loveland's sculptor colony, and his recent work "Ascension" typifies the extraordinary elegance, grace and emotion that has become the signature of his art.

Victor Issa honors the female form above all others in his many creations. "Nothing on earth is more beautiful and graceful than 'woman', and I am endlessly inspired by the breadth of feeling one can experience through the movement and expression of the female form," he has said. "For example, to me 'Ascension' portrays upward movement and force, qualities that represent women's changing role and status in modern life. The sculpture is also of a dancer: strong, graceful, celebrating, ascending and transcending earthly bonds. Yet for a friend who has just gone through a traumatic personal experience, 'Ascension' commemorates freedom and release. Almost everyone who sees the sculpture tells me it evokes in them any of many senses: a rising spirit, a lifting of burdens, a euphoric weightlessness, a new awareness of unlimited and unencumbered possibilities."

"Ascension" exemplifies the soaring spirit, mankind's ascension to life's purpose, and the celebration of peace and love. The piece is 28" tall including base, a size ideal for display in the home or office. Foyer, study, library, formal living room, master bedroom, boardroom, reception area…all are enhanced by the beauty and uplifting power of the piece.

For collectors and designers who desire larger scale, a limited-edition life-size bronze of "Ascension" will be available in late 2000. A special pre-issue price will be offered for a limited time.

"The Jester" Sets Stage for Great Performances

LOVELAND, CO—Who wouldn't be excited about a performance when they're so warmly welcomed by "The Jester"? This monumental bronze sculpture, a 1-1/2 life-size work based on the fabled Elizabethan court entertainer, was produced by Victor Issa, a leading American sculptor with studios in this fine arts colony nestled in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies.

"The Jester" was commissioned by the City of Wichita, KS for its Performing Arts Center. The concept for the piece was created by Dorothy Koelling, a Wichita sculptor, then developed and completed by Issa. Victor has described "The Jester" as "exceptionally multitalented" and the quintessential centerpiece for a performing arts complex. "He greets you with a sweeping bow when you arrive for the program. Then when the performance is over, he curtsies in appreciation to thank you for coming. What other metal do you know of that can do all that?", Issa laughed.

"The Jester" is available in two editions including six copies at 1-1/2 life-size and 21 copies at life-size. The sculpture can be installed permanently, or serve as a "traveling host" for multi-venue programs such as renaissance fairs and Shakespearean festivals.

Government officials, architects and landscape architects involved in the design of performing arts centers, art museums, theaters, amphitheaters, university drama complexes, etc. may find "The Jester" an exciting complement to their projects. In addition, many communities across America are striving to enhance their downtown and parks districts with accessible, non-controversial sculpture, and for them "The Jester" offers a pleasing solution.

Victor Issa Creates 12-Piece Liturgical Sculpture for World Conference

LOVELAND, CO—An angel has been sighted in the foothills west of this famed art community! Some denizens might say, what's the big deal? After all, this is "God's Country". However, upon closer inspection of the angel reported, one immediately recognizes that her majestic wings are…clay. Hmmm, not your average angel for most believers. Must be a special angel for a special purpose.

And that she is, according to Victor Issa, a Loveland-based sculptor who is working at his studio on Masonville Road to complete a grouping of twelve life-size sculptures commissioned for the General Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church World Headquarters. Titled "The King Is Coming", the extensive bronze work will be dedicated at the church's World Conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in July 2000. The event, attended by nearly 70,000 faithful from around the world, will be held at the Sky Dome, a setting most appropriate for the dedication as its massive roof opens in welcome to the heavens. A few weeks later, the work will be installed permanently at the General Conference's World Headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Issa's "The King Is Coming" is the first sculpture commission ever granted by the Seventh Day Adventist World Headquarters. Five international artists were reviewed for the commission.

The work comprises 12 elements described in the Bible's Revelation: ten life-size human forms representing people of all races and ages; a life-size angel holding a child; and a 6' x 8' bas relief panel depicting God with attendant angels descending for the Second Coming. Issa explained that extensive research was conducted to ensure authentic depictions of the various earthly representatives, including their dress and ornamentation. The pieces include an aboriginal male from Australia, a young Polynesian woman, a Native American from the Lakota Sioux tribe, an elder from the Mid-East, two children representing Asia and Mexico, a Masai male from Africa, women from East India and the Caribbean, and a Caucasian grandmother from mid-America. The angel, graced with a magnificent seven-foot wingspan, is holding a Caucasian child.

Victor laughs as he recalled trying to locate models for the various figures. He said, "To achieve the true character and vibrancy of the figure, it's essential to work from live models. Do you know how hard it is to find a real angel nowadays! And then to get her to stay still for more than a few seconds! Actually, my angel is a lovely local woman we dressed in flowing robes. And her wings are an eagle's, the most beautiful and regal of God's airborne creatures."

"What makes a project like this one particularly special for me", Issa continued, "is that many of the figures are essentially portraits of people I know. For instance, the grandmother is a wonderful woman from my local church, the Mid-Eastern man is my uncle from Lebanon, the Caribbean woman is a lady I met in Jamaica last year, and the kids are children of friends of our family. A good friend, who is Lakota, helped me develop the character for the Native American. Other models we recruited from nearby communities."

The project will be cast and completed in Loveland and shipped to Toronto for set-up next spring. Several of the pieces, including the angel and bas relief, will be available in limited editions for other applications, both liturgical and public. Castings will be offered in bronze and forton for various editions. Bronze maquettes of the collection and individual figures will be produced also.