Forest Idyll

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

As I have mentioned before, my dad is also an artist. Having artistic parents gave me the courage to choose a career in fine arts. My dad’s work is displayed all over the south east, but the pieces that I am the most familiar with were, of course, in my parents house.
This is a painting Dad did of a sculpture in Brookgreen Gardens. I do not know if this piece was painted specifically for my mom or if she just claimed it for herself. All of the women in our family have a habit of “borrowing” paintings only to have them remain permanently on the walls in their home.
Inspiration is often transferred from one artist to another. My dad was inspired by this sculpture by Albin Polasek as well as the beautiful surroundings of the gardens. His inspiration then fed into mine. So, in honor of Albin Polasek and Charlie Pate Sr. I present my version of “Forest Idyll”.

Friday, June 3, 2011 town magazine art charles pate jr sculpture regenesis

Check out TOWN magazine this month to see the write-up about my Regenesis sculpture in downtown Greenville.

Two of my Favorites

Friday, May 27, 2011 The Daughters of Edward D. Boit charles pate jr oil painting John Singer Sargent

There are some works of art that I have always loved from the art books around my house or at the library. But there is a list of my favorites that I have been able to experience in person, that are truly too amazing for a book.
Here are two paintings that I have seen in real life. These two were already some of my favorite pieces of art and seeing them up-close and in person was an awesome event.
The Daughters of Edward D. Boit, John Singer Sargent. 1879.
This monstrous oil painting is 87.6″x87.6″!!! I saw this painting at the MFA in Boston. After Sargent exhibited a portrait of his mentor Carolus-Duran in the Parisian Salon in 1879 he was commissioned to paint several more portraits. The Daughters of Edward D. Boit was one of these first commissions.
Floor Scrapers, Gustave Caillebotte. 1875
I love this painting! I’m drawn in by the contrast between the natural lighting from the doorway that reflects off the the wood floor and the workers’ skin in an otherwise dark room. I was able to view this painting at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris. I loved it. But… this painting was not well received by the public in 1875. Art critics were still looking for paintings of the human form to mimic those of Greek and Roman art. The skinny bodies of these blue collar workers would have been considered off-putting.

Hartsville Veterans’ Monument Dedication

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 Hartsville Veterans’ Monument Dedication bronze sc art charles pate jr

Veterans’ Day, Nov. 11, 2010, the monument was dedicated. The Ceremony was amazing! It was truly humbling to be a part of such a great event and to have an opportunity to show appreciation to all of the Veterans.

Many people came to the ceremony; both military and civilian.
Each branch of the United States armed service was individually honored. Then the flag was raised.
           
Major General Cornell A. Wilson, Jr. USMC (Ret.) and many other Veterans were photographed in front of the monument.
 

My Granparents, Catherine and Gerald Pate.

Hartsville Veterans’ Monument Installation

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 Hartsville Veterans’ Monument sc bronze sculpture charles pate jr

This is LOOOOONG over due, but I felt that I should still post something about the installation and unveiling of the Veterans Monument. This actually occurred in November. Again, sorry it took so long to post.
The city of Hartsville did an amazing job with the site for the monument. Every aspect of the park was carefully thought out and planned to perfection. The five concrete monoliths were erected first.
They were then dressed in stone that had been cut and imported to the site. The guys at the Inferno took care of installing the bronze. Because each panel weighed about 800lbs, a crane was used to lift the artwork into place.
The last stage in the site preparation was the walkway and the ground around the five panels.
 The Finished Monument!

Regenesis Dedication

Sunday, May 1, 2011 beautiful sculpture in greenville sc charles pate jr bronze

The Regenesis sculpture has finally been completed!!! After over a year of planning, drawing, building, carving, and casting, the piece was delivered and installed earlier this week. The dedication was a huge success.
 
This is the newspaper Article About the Regenesis Dedication.

CITY OF GREENVILLE, LOCAL FIRM PARTNER ON LATEST PUBLIC ART INSTALLMENT

New sculpture celebrates city’s transformation and pays homage to Greenville’s west side

(Greenville SC) The City of Greenville and Nachman Norwood & Parrott hosted a dedication ceremony this morning for the latest installment of public art made possible through the City’s Arts in Public Places initiative. The bronze sculpture, titled Regenesis, was created by local artist Charles Pate, Jr., who was also on-hand for the ceremony. The sculpture is located in front of the Nachman Norwood & Parrott offices at 1116 South Main Street on the corner of South Main and Perry Avenue.
Nachman Norwood & Parrott, a local wealth management firm located in the West End, expressed an interest in partnering with the City’s Arts in Public Places Commission and offered its property as a potential site for an art installation. Subsequently, the Arts in Public Places Commission issued a RFP for a sculpture on the site and in August 2010, commissioned Regenesis after selecting Pate’s proposal from among a variety of submissions by artists from across the southeast.

“Nachman Norwood & Parrott is committed to supporting the arts in Greenville and we are thrilled to be partnering with the City of Greenville and the Arts in Public Places Commission in placing the newest addition to downtown’s art collection on our property,” said Bob Nachman, Managing Director for Nachman Norwood & Parrott. “The reason we chose this location for our offices is because we believe strongly in the revitalization of this vibrant neighborhood and we hope that through this arts initiative, this corner will be one of the many showcases of Greenville’s west side.”

Regenesis depicts the image of a sculptor carving himself out of an aged tree trunk, and according to Pate, the sculpture is a metaphor for Greenville’s transformation. “Unlike a metamorphosis, in which nothing of the former creature remains, this transformation has visible roots,” said Pate. In his original proposal for the sculpture, Pate praised Greenville citizens’ efforts to preserve the historical integrity of the city and referenced the recent resurgence of the arts community on Greenville’s west side. “I believe that Greenville’s art district owes much to the community from which it has emerged,” he said. “With Regenesis, the sculptor’s strong arms and heavy tools represent the physical labor – the honest, hard work that built and sustained the area in bygone days, his emerging torso represents the power and promise of a new generation of Greenville artists and artisans and the incomplete figure, marked by the chisel, represents each artist’s desire to leave his or her own mark on the art world.”

According to William H. Pelham, President of Pelham Architects, LLC and chair of the City’s Arts in Public Places Commission, the unveiling of the sculpture Regenesis by local artist Charles Pate, Jr. is an exciting addition to Greenville’s public art collection. “The vision of the property owner, Nachman Norwood & Parrott, has resulted in a great piece of public art anchoring the South Main Street entrance to downtown Greenville.”

Regenesis Update!

Friday, March 18, 2011 bronze sculpture fine art sculptor charles pate jr
After the figure had been delivered I began working on the roots. These did not take long to finish and I was headed back to Atlanta to have them cast and bronzed.
When I arrived I got to see the figure just before it was to be poured. These are sections of the Regenesis man with hollow casts ready to be filled with molten bronze.

The work is not cast as one large piece. The clay is cut into sections and cast seperately. Yikes! There is a lot of faith required when watching someone cut months of painstaking artwork into small pieces, knowing that this is the way the process must happen. The bronze pieces will soon be welded together seamlessly.

Black Creek Arts Council Show

Friday, March 18, 2011 Black Creek Arts Council fine art painting hartsville sc charles pate

I participated in the Black Creek Arts Council show “The Pates”, with my grandparents, dad, sister, both uncles, and three of my cousins. There were even works by my great aunt and great grandmother. All of us have ties to the art world in one way or another. If you happen to be down in the the lower part of the state, you should stop by and check it out. The show will be up for a few more weeks.

my grandparents.

These are the pieces I put in the show.

The Mutual Respect Society

 Friday, March 18, 2011 marty pate fine art newnan ga charles pate jr painting portraits

One reason I started this blog is to inform everyone about my favorite artists and artworks. Some of these are famous artists and some are friends and colleagues of mine. For the first installment of The Mutual Respect Society I have decided to write about my uncle Marty Pate.

Marty is the man! He lives and works in GA, though he is represented by galleries all over. Marty paints portraits, landscapes, and representations of different historical events. Check out his stuff. Here are some of my favorites.

Regenesis Continued….

Sunday, March 6, 2011
After the drawings were approved I had models pose in the right positions for the Regenesis sculpture.
I first created a maquette. The 13″ version of my sculpture was made of wax. The wax is much better than clay for tiny detail. However, working with wax is a slower more tedious process.

Once I felt comfortable with the look of the maquette I began work on the full sized piece.

These images show the armature, made of wood and piping. I also stuff the figure with news paper and pink insulation foam. This helps build size without adding a lot of extra weight. After hours and hours of mushing and carving the clay, he starts to take form.

 I invited people to come by the gallery and look at the Regenesis project as I worked. The most common question that I was asked was about the exposed pipes. The pipe that connects the head and the arm is simply there as reinforcement for the weight of the clay on his arm. The clay is not strong enough to support itself. The pipe in his chest is used when moving the work. I had to transport the figure and move him around the studio, but I did not want to lift him by grabbing his arms or head. So I included, in the armature, a pipe going straight through his chest that additional pipe could be added on to. That way he could be lifted with all of the weight transferred to the metal armature. None of the pipes will be included in the bronze version.

To create the face I combined portions of the model’s face and my own.
Regenesis-sculpture-charles-pate-artist-01
After I finished the bark texture on the tree portion of the sculpture, he was ready to be cast and bronzed. So I loaded the work in the back of my truck, tied him down as securely as possible, and headed for the foundry in Atlanta.

Charles Pate Jr. fine art, landscapes, and sculpture.