Limited edition: The latest trend in sculptures

KOLKATA: The rising demand for sculptures is seeing sculptors selectively producing copies of their works. These are dubbed as limited editions. As things stand, sculptors are generally churning out limited editions of bronze sculptures. Normally, a minimum of six to nine editions are turned out of each sculptural piece. In most instances, the copies are numbered and signed by the artist.

“The trend of limited edition sculptures has taken off recently. This is a direct fallout of the growing demand for sculptures. While the development is unfolding in the Indian art scene of late, the Western art market has seen limited edition sculptures for decades,” an art market source told ET.

The editions are numbered and signed by the sculptor for a few reasons. First, it adds value to the work which is crucial for a collector. Secondly, a signature and number finds the sculpture being properly documented. Lastly, one can identify and rank the work from a creative perspective.

“It’s mostly bronze sculptures that are made through the casting process which are witnessing limited editions. Fabricated sculptures, which crystallise via an assemblage of pieces, don’t lend themselves to limited editions.
Similarly, sculptures created through the ‘lost wax’ method also can’t be duplicated. This is because the wax mould is destroyed while the work is being sculpted,” the source said.

Although sculptors are usually embarking on fashioning six to nine editions of the works, there is apparently no norm or guideline prescribing the maximum copies that can be rolled out. “The main benefit of limited editions is that it makes a larger number of pieces of the same work accessible to a bigger group of collectors.

Of course, based on market feedback, the prices of limited editions are not necessarily climbing down just because there are more works. This is probably on account of the fact that sculpting is a time-consuming and painstaking process,” the source said. The West has been witnessing limited sculptures for a long time. Renowned sculptor, Brancussi, for instance, came up with quite a few such works especially in the last phase of his creativity.

Three editions of his famed work, Bird in Flight, are spread out in different locales.

While one of them is in the Maharaja of Indore’s collection, the other two are at the Gugenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

“Some galleries in India are also picking up rights from artists to produce limited edition works. These are also signed by the sculptors subsequently. While this trend may trigger an over-production of some sculptural pieces, the positive side is that it will certainly expand the base of buyers,” the source said.