LIONIZE
Bronze paintings
Autumn 2016 - continuing
Lionize is a series of bronze sculptures of paintings and images. During the pour, the bronze is adulterated with melted precious and historical metals - and especially colonial antiquities - such as antique silver teapots, gold wedding rings, and salvaged bullets. These objects lose their form in the same way that the paintings lose their image. Pieces in Lionize are always patinated through exposure to the elements. Most of the paintings were found by, given to, or purchased by Leo. The name of each piece reflects the subject matter of the original image, or the circumstance of its acquisition by Leo. Many of the paintings recreated in bronze are destroyed in the process.
Lionize is an exploration of fragility. It is concerned with what remains after loss and long spans of time. The word ‘lionize’ means to celebrate something, whether it deserves to be celebrated or not. With bronze’s position as a material of edification, Lionize also invites us to question what it means when we edify someone in effigy; who owns the identity represented by a bronze sculpture? The name is also a pun: to lion-ize; to Leo-ify.
This is a continuing series begun in 2016. All works are produced in editions of 3, 6, or 12. If a mold is destroyed or rendered unusable, no new mold with by made and the edition of that piece will be considered complete.
Lionize is also the subject of Leo’s musical collaboration Bronze Music and his AI video project Subjective Functions x Lionize.
Reveal (Lionize I)
2016
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
25 x 20 x 2 cm / 10" x 8" x 0.75"
3.5 kg / 7.75 lb
edition of xii
Self Portrait (Lionize II)
2017
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
40 x 30 x 2 cm / 15.75" x 12" x 0.75"
9 kg / 20 lb
edition of xii
Treasure (Lionize III)
2017
pictured is I/XII, made of bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps. II/XII was made of marshmallow
31 x 36 x 5.5 cm / 12.25" x 14.25" x 2.25"
10.5 kg / 23 lb
edition of vi
Counterfeit (Lionize IV)
2017
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
19.5 x 17.5 x 3 cm / 7.75" x 7" x 1.25"
1.5 kg / 3 lb
edition of vi
Prize (Lionize V)
2017
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
60 x 45 x 2.5 cm / 23.75" x 17.75" x 1"
27.25 kg / 60 lb
edition of vi
Valdrada Fruit (Lionize VI)
2017
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
25 x 20 x 4.5 cm / 10" x 8" x 1.75"
3.5 kg / 8 lb
edition of xii
Espero Pati (Lionize VII)
2017
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
10 x 8.5 x 2.5 cm / 4" x 3.5" x 1"
0.5kg / 1.25 lb
edition of xii
Unseeing (Lionize VIII)
2017
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
45 x 36 x 3.5 cm / 18" x 14" x 1.5"
7.25 kg / 16 lb
edition of vi
Gaze (Lionize IX)
2017
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
20 x 25 x 2 cm / 8" x 10" x 0.75"
edition of xii
Nostalgia (Lionize X, Nostalgia I)
2018
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
13" x 8" x 2"
varied edition of iii
Cartography (Lionize XI, Nostalgia II)
2018
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
14.5" x 8" x 2"
varied edition of iii
Hammam (Lionize XII)
2018
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
6" (diameter) x 0.25"
edition of xii
Token of Encouragement (Lionize XIII)
2018
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
2.5 x 4 x 0.25 cm / 1” x 1.75” x <0.125”
edition of xii
Shrine (Lionize XIV)
2019
bronze alloyed with precious metal antiquities and workshop scraps
37 x 20 x 0.25 cm / 14.5” x 8” x 0.125”
edition of xii