I began working with bronze sculpture in autumn 2006, after years of collecting African sculptures, which stand and hang throughout my studio and home, and which have inspired many of my paintings. My original intention was to experiment with materials other than bronze, but my fascination with the shiny metal was a much stronger attraction. I make my models out of Styropor, a fairly easy material to work with. I shape it with a variety of homemade loops, which I heat up and use to cut or burn through the material. It is a fast method of working. I have to decide on the shape of the figure in advance and be very alert and concentrated during the cutting process. One wrong cut and the figure is ruined.
I do not usually make sketches of my sculptures, but I have numerous sources of inspiration. It may be the large rock formations on the Island of Nisyros in the Greek archipelago, voluminous abstract marble sculptures with round, soft shapes, hard-fired ceramic vases and sculptures, our collection of African sculptures and masks, sculptural furniture or lamps. In order to cast the figure, the model must not be too fragile, as entire sections might otherwise disappear during the casting process. Inevitably, changes occur when a form is transferred from one medium to another, in this case from Styropor to bronze, and I have to take that into account during the modelling process. After the model is finished, I make a model of the sculpture base, which is also cast in bronze. The bronze caster then makes an impression of my figure in casting sand. After the figure has been cast, it is cleaned of sand and impurities, and then the laborious patination process begins. The final element is the grinding and polishing work, which transforms the sculpture from a matt blue-green shape into a radiant figure. My small sculptures are mounted on narrow bronze pillars, which are in turn mounted on bronze sheets, so that they appear light and floating. Every one of my bronze sculptures is unique and made of solid bronze.
—Christel Maria Nolle, June 2007
Jeg begyndte at arbejde med bronzeskulpturer i efteråret 2006, efter at have samlet på afrikanske skulpturer i en årrække som hænger forskellige steder i mit atelier og mit hjem, og som har været inspiration til mange af mine malerier. Egentlig var det min mening at forsøge mig med andre materialer end bronze, men min fascination over det skinnende metal var større og tiltrak mig mere. Jeg laver mine modeller i styropor, et nogenlunde føjeligt materiale, som jeg bearbejder med flere forskellige selvfabrikerede slynger, der bliver opvarmet og skærer eller brænder sig igennem materialet. Det er en hurtig arbejdsproces, og jeg skal være meget nærværende og koncentreret mens det foregår og kende figurens form i forvejen. Et forkert snit og figuren er ødelagt.
Jeg plejer ikke at lave skitser til mine skulpturer, men mine inspirationskilder er mangfoldige. Det kan være de store klippepartier på øen Nisyros i det græske øhav, voluminøse abstrakte marmorskulpturer i runde, bløde former, hårdtbrændte keramiske vaser og skulpturer, vores samling af afrikanske skulpturer og masker, skulpturelle møbler eller lamper. For at kunne støbe figuren, skal modellen ikke være alt for skrøbelig udført, da der ellers kan ske det, at hele partier kan forsvinde under støbeprocessen. Der sker nemlig forandringer, når man overfører en form fra, i dette tilfælde, styropor til bronze og det skal jeg tage hensyn til under modelleringsprocessen. Efter at modellen er færdig udformet laves der en model af skulpturfoden, som også bliver støbt i bronze. Derefter er det bronzestøberens opgave at tage aftryk af min figur i støbesand. Når figuren er støbt, bliver den renset for sand og urenheder og derefter sker den langsommelige patineringsproces. Den sidste del er slibe – og poleringsarbejdet, som forvandler skulpturen fra en mat grøn-blå form til en blank strålende figur. Mine mindre skulpturer bliver monteret på en smal bronzesøjle som igen monteres på en bronzeplade, så de virker let og svævende. Alle mine bronzeskulpturer er unikaværker og i massiv bronze.
