THOMAS OSTENBERG, A.R.B.S.
Title: Celebration Two
Medium: Bronze
Size: 13 inches height
Edition No: 2/12
Thomas Ostenberg was born in Nebraska and spends his time between homes in London and Santa Fe, New Mexico. For a number of years he worked in international finance in New York, Brazil and Spain. He claims his biggest break was 'discovering that I wanted to be an artist'. He left the commercial banking world, returned to school and earned a BFA from Kansas City Institute and an MA from the Royal College of Art in London. Ostenberg maintains this change was precipitated by 'fifteen years of seeing great art on three continents'. In particular he cites the major Velazquez exhibition in Madrid and a visit to the Rodin Museum in Paris. At the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, Ostenberg experienced much of Picasso's early work. 'I discovered that he was not born a genius but had to develop his skills just like any other beginning artist'.
Thomas Ostenberg is a sculptor who works primarily in bronze. The power and durability of his finished pieces belie his approach to the medium, which is quite fluid and intuitive. 'Sometimes I will have a bit of clay or wax in my hand, and by playing with this lump, some image or other just begins to appear' he says. For his large scale works, he prefers to start with an armature that is covered with an oil-based clay. Then, using his hands and then later, clay tools, he defines the image. 'I alternate between building up and carving back until I achieve a result I am satisfied with'. He then casts the original works in bronze and covers them with varying degrees of green or brown patina.
Ostenberg's sculptures reflect his personal search for emotional and spiritual equilibrium. His bronzes reveal figures caught in a delicate balancing act - at any moment something could crumble. Sometimes it is only by sheer strength and will that his characters remain aloft. Yet through all this, his figures exude a real sense of grace and poise. Their confidence is evident.
