For Immediate Release - Cast in NYC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 2016

Astoria Queens New York based Modern Art Foundry 

is a third generation family owned and operated business established in 1932, and for the past 84 years has been providing sculpture services to artists and the art world.   With highly skilled crafts people, most of whom have spent twenty plus years with the company, Modern Art Foundry specializes in art casting services, primarily bronze and aluminum.  Modern Art Foundry also continues to provide conservation and restoration services, commemorative design services, and educational services.  All of these are part of our on going efforts to serve artists and those working in the arts all around the globe.

"It’s both an honor and a responsibility to walk in the footsteps of my grandfather and father.  To work for artists who command the world’s attention, and the many emerging artists too, who need our services to move their work through the casting process”.  Jeffrey Spring

Travelling around New York City you will find Modern Art Foundry’s castings along city streets, in city parks, and historical institutions.  As we head toward warmer days,here’s a few, go have a look:

Starting in Central Park you will find the iconic "Alice in Wonderland" and "Hans Christian Anderson" statues at Conservatory Water near East 75th Street.  Heading to Times Square you can give a salute to "George M. Cohan" and in Greenwich Village walk along side "Mayor Fiorella LaGuardia" at LaGuardia Place.

As you move to other parts of the city you can see  John Rhoden’s “Mitochondria” hovering outside Bellevue Hospital, and Judith Weller’s “Sower” stiching in the Fashion District (47th Street/Fashion Avenue).  Irving Marantz has two works on Park Avenue: “Triad” at 475 Park, and "Obelisk to Peace" at 3 Park.

Heading indoors at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral you will find sculptures by Adlai Hardin, Elizabeth Gordon Chandler, and Joy Buba, who also has portraits at Rockefeller Plaza and the American Museum of Natural History.

All of the works have in common, the time honored tradition of artist and foundry working together.

There are many more, including additional public locations, and private collections, museums and galleries.  Feel free to let us know your "cast at Modern Art Foundry" story - info@modernartfoundry.com

While we certainly take pride in the work we have done, we continue our tradition each day, working for artists including Lynda Benglis, Yoan Capote, George Condo, Tracey Emin, Orly Genger, Stefan Janoski, George Kelly, Wangechi Mutu, Sara Rahbar, Dick Shanley, Mia Solow, Ugo Rondinone, Greg Wyatt, and Jorge Zeno. Further, we continue on going work for the Louise Bourgeois Trust, Tony Smith Estate, Gaston Lachaise Foundation, Charles Gagnon Foundation, and Angel Botello Estate.

For further information feel free to contact Jeffrey Spring 718 728 2030, Email Jeffrey Spring

LYNDA BENGLIS - WATER SOURCES

Mark Di Suvero, Bob Spring, and Lynda Benglis

On Saturday May 16, 2015 Storm King Art Center in New Windsor, NY celebrated the installation and opening of Lynda Benglis exhibition Water Sources.  It was a memorable day with many highlights.  One notable moment was the coming together of Bob Spring, Lynda Benglis, and Mark Di Suvero.  Two of Lynda's bronze fountains on exhibit developed from work Bob and Lynda did in the 1980's, and furthered for Lynda's 2009 retrospective at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin.  Bob and Mark joked about old times, as many years ago Mark came to the foundry and asked Bob to cast a few of his works.

After lunch Bob and Jeffrey joined Lynda for a walk to review the installation.  Modern Art Foundry cast Crescendo and North South East West.  In creating both works Lynda layered additional pourings of foam at the foundry.  Lynda is quoted in the exhibition guide: "the foundries are my studios, and their employees, my collaborators."

"Working with Lynda on this exhibition was a very rewarding experience for me.  Yes there were challenges and Lynda made demands.  Lynda requires you to be present and hands on. My working days with Lynda will always be a special memory"  - Jeffrey Spring

Lynda Benglis - Water Sources on exhibit at Storm King Art Center until November 8, 2015.   

Storm King Art Center is located at 1 Museum Road New Windsor NY 12553.  

Additional information at www.stormking.org.

18-70 41st Street Astoria NY 11105 718 728 2030

info@modernartfoundry.com

www.modernartfoundry.com

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Artists at the Foundry

Modern Art Foundry

Serving Artists and Communities Since 1932.

- Image and Text credits on File

Modern Art Foundry 

Congratulates 

Mia Fonssagrives-Solow 

on the opening of her exhibition ...

 

ROBOTS

 

Featuring unique bronze and aluminum works

cast following our specialized direct casting services.

 

Exhibition until April 4, 2015

For more information: www.kasherpotamkin.com

515 West 26th Street, New York

Modern Art Foundry offers fine art casting services, and with over eighty years experience we hope you will choose us for your next project. 

Modern Art Foundry

info@modernartfoundry.com

- Images used with permission

Two cans of Ballantine Ale cast in bronze .....

When interviewing Bob Spring about his visit to the exhibition "Casting Modernity: Bronze in the XXth Century," he mused, "It's enjoyable to be reminded of the work we've done" and with that thought he recalled the Jasper Johns work "Flashlight," at the exhibition. 

                                                                                                                (Vintage photo @ MAF/Beer cans & Light bulbs)

Bob specifically remembered Johns work titled "Painted Bronze," which features two cans of Ballantine Ale cast in bronze. There is a publicized story about this work evolving out of a comment made by Willem de Kooning (also featured in Casting Modernity and a past customer of Modern Art Foundry) to Johns's gallerist Leo Castelli. Bob continued to speak about the deceiving weight of the cans; how that the one your mind believes to be heavy is light, and the opposite for the other can, it is heavy.

Modern Art Foundry's archives show this casting completed in April 1964. The interaction with Johns was brief; and Bob was working full-time in the foundry while his father was running the day-to-day operations. We did a few other works for Johns including the Light Bulb castings.

David Smith was also part of this exhibition; another artist that hired us to produce just a few works. 

At times, a foundry has brief encounters with painters, fabricators, photographers, or other artists exploring and applying different techniques and various skills to their work. Bob told me that, "Our services do not always meet the needs of these artists, but it provides a chance to explore and create, and we are willing to help them. Casting a bronze or two helps in that process." David Smith, referenced in our archives under Terminal Iron Works, explored MAF's services in 1962.

Isamu Noguchi's bronze casting, "Cronos," was represented in this exhibition too. Noguchi found his way to Modern Art Foundry in the 1960's. We developed a very good working relationship with him, lasting almost three decades. Both John and Bob Spring were responsible for the casting of his work. Bob recalls, "The reason our relationship flourished with Noguchi was because of his expertise and confidence in his work and him knowing exactly what he wanted - this fit right in with the traditional services we provided, making it easier for us to satisfy him."

The opening pages of the exhibition's catalogue refer to this show being both a celebration and discovery. It reminded Bob of the works and artists' he has worked with, and further exposed third-generation owner Jeffrey to MAF's extensive history. Whether brief, or for an artists lifetime, these interactions make MAF a major contributor to the history of fine art casting in the United States.

 ________________________________________________________________

--- Prepared by Patricia Bradshaw as part of the on-going documentation of Bob Spring's decades of working with artists casting their work at Modern Art Foundry. For more information contact info@modernartfoundry.com.

Modern Art Foundry

www.modernartfoundry.com

Serving Artists and Communities Since 1932.

- Photo Credit on File

Kristin H. Eyfells 

Receptualism brings to light new conceptions of "being" and breathes new life into the verb to be.

Receptual Art no. 9, bronze, 23.5 x 32.5 x 19 inches

In 2003 Johann Eyfells approached Modern Art Foundry to cast nine sculptures. The work was created by his wife Kristin H. Eyfells who had passed away in 2002 and Johann wanted to realize her and his desire to cast these works in bronze. Born in Iceland, Kristin was a successful entrepreneur at the age of twenty-one. Early in her career she met Johann, who is an architect and sculptor, and four years later they married and moved to the east coast of the United States. Kristin attended Hofstra University and inspired by her husband's dedication to the arts, she signed up for a sculpture class. Following a move to Gainesville, Florida, she continued her studies at the University of Florida. She began to exhibit in 1962 and has been featured in over one hundred exhibitions in the United States and Europe. Both Johann and Kristin's sculpture explore thoughts on Receptualism.

Receptual Art no. 4, bronze, 22 x 24.5 x 24.5 inches

To learn more Click below to view Modern Art Foundry's - Featured Artist posting:

http://www.modernartfoundry.com/featured_artist.html

Kristin's sculpture is offered for sale on the Spring Gallery's eBay site. Click on the following link to view store:

http://stores.ebay.com/Modern-Art-Foundry-Spring-Gallery

Modern Art Foundry

info@modernartfoundry.com

Serving Artists and Communities Since 1932.

- Image and Text credits on File

Shay Rieger

(1923 - 2015)

"Pig" - bronze, 11" x 18" x 9"

It is with sadness that Modern Art Foundry shares the news of the passing of Shay Rieger. Shay first came to Modern Art Foundry in 1959, and from then until last year we continued to work with her to cast, exhibit, and sell her wonderful, inspiring, caring, and thoughtful works of art.

During the last decade, every few months, I would make early morning visits to her home/studio on Horatio Street to review any work we were doing for her. This will always be a memorable experience for me. Shay was a customer that worked with all three generations of our foundry. Her publications almost always included images of her and our craftsman engaged in bringing her work to life.  - Jeffrey Spring

                                                            

Shay was born in New York City and is the author and illustrator of several books and films which included the award-winning film, The Bronze Zoo. As a sculptor, she has worked in numerous materials such as wood, stone, plaster, clay, terra cotta, and bronze. Her animal and bird sculptures have been displayed in community centers, public parks, corporate buildings, and private homes. Her most recent sculpture installation was June of 2004, at the Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian in New York City.

In 2010, AES Gallery featured the paintings of Shay's titled, "Noah's Ark, The Renewal." The exhibition featured the unique paintings in oil and stitchery based on a book for publication. For that exhibit, she captured the escape, two by two, from the Great Flood. The show was presented by Modern Art Foundry and RT Restorations. 

A Selection from "Noah's Ark, The Renewal," Series.

Many have long enjoyed Shay's creations. She studied at the Arts Students League in Manhattan, and exhibited in New York museums such as, the Brooklyn Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Shay also offered public installations in New York Public Libraries, Lever House Building, Warner Communications Building, and Rockefeller Plaza.

Modern Art Foundry 

Astoria, New York  

modernartfoundry.com

- Text and Image Credits on File

1978