Luben creates his copies as they are ordered, each copy differs from its siblings in subtle or obvious ways. The art collector benefits because he or she is assured that each sculpture is a unique piece of art and that nearly all of the work has been done by Luben. Pouring the molten bronze is the most exciting and terrifying part of the casting process. This is the climax of months of preparatory work. Carrying around 250 pounds of molten bronze is a hot and risky business, hence the home made space suits.
Bronze casting is a balanced mixture of art and science.
A successful casting is the result of hundreds of correctly executed steps. While some of the foundry work is spectacular, most of the time is spent in the studio creating the sculpture and taking it through the various stages before and after the lead to the pouring of the bronze. We have both heated and unheated studio space within the fiberglass greenhouse. Luben says that light conditions for sculpting are perfect because the light is shadow free and of comfortable intensity. We are fully equipped for mold making, wax pulling, metal finishing and patination.