Edition numbering with several materials.

[Buffyduffer]

This might have been covered somewhere before but I can't find it.
I make a clay sculpture, make a silicon mold of it and cast it in

1. wax which I sent to the foundry to cast into bronze.
2. hydrocal with the outer surface imbedded with bronze powder.
3. hydrocal coated with a painted-on bronze coating.
4. resin with the outer surface imbedded with bronze powder.
5. hydrocal which I leave white.
6. resin which I leave white.
7. hydrocal which I i incorporate into a wall plaque.
Numbers 1 thru 4 all look the same at 10 paces but have different bases.

My question is How do I make edition(s) of this sculpture?
Do I destroy all but the bronze and make it 1/8 of the edition
or make each an artists proof I/VI -?
or number each in the same edition 1/8 - 7/8
or make each material a seperate edition e.g. Hydrocal 1/8 -5/8
or what?

What if I made 5 of #1 and 5 of #2?
What if I made a grouping of three of #1 like I did in
http://azleroux.com/pics.php?wfolder...wpic=arabesque

[Mack]

You are the boss here.
Make a different size edition of each piece that is of a different material. That way the edition size will tell you which material it is. The amount of each edition is your call. List each edition seperately in a book or computer and keep track of where and when they go. Good luck.

[Ries]

Mack is right- there are no hard and fast rules.

Me, I would number the bronzes as one edition, and the hydrocals as another.
After all, bronzes from the same edition may get different patinas, but still be from the same master.
Similarly, hydrocals could get different surface treatments, but if they are cast from the same mold, in the same material (hydrocal) to me they would be variations on the same piece.

But really, its up to you.

Dont forget artist proofs, either- some times there are many of these- some prints may have 50 or 100 proofs, others none.
But A/P's are often a convenient way to keep the total "number" of an edition down, while still making more money- which can be handy, or sneaky, depending.

[Buffyduffer]

Thank you for your help. I am beginning to see the light.

I know I am the boss but, in my inexperience, need to know
what galleries and patrons expect.

Still don't know how to handle a grouping of several into one sculpture.
Would each piece have it's own number or would the grouping have its own series?

[Mack]

In the gallery business, I never really found the edition size to be a major factor if a client liked a piece ..8 just seems way too low...yes for an international edition, but here in the U.S.,no. But as I said, it's what you feel comfortable with.
I think the least confusing way to keep track of these would be to have a seperate edition of each variation with a different edition amount for each edition ,i.e.: bronze 1/8- 8/8, hydrocal with bronze powder: 1/9- 9/9, hydrocal with ....1/10- 10/10 etc. That way you just need to know the number and you know which variation it is. You can figure out a system to designate your artist proofs, i.e. a/p B for the bronze, a/p hr for the hydrocal resin etc.

[Katt]

I like Mack's remarks- A different size edition for each material- will keep things organized. About the many pieces in one sculpture...If you are presenting it as One Sculpture, then I would think it would have one number,but you could present it as an artist's proof. Eight in an edition does seem quite a low number.. I have a friend who is a prominent sculptor and never puts a date or edition number on his bronzes. That's an idea. I only put edition numbers on bronze, and leave the other materials as "open edition".