Jaap Hartman (1950) is not only a sculptor, he is also a bronze-caster. His knowledge of the casting process on the one hand and his artistic qualities on the other hand provide him with the ability to approach his bronze sculptures from two different viewpoints. This is expressed in the fact that Hartman, as sculptor, has always remained faithful to the principal that sculpting is working in and with space. The large forms slowly take shape by building the sculpture up from the inside out. Once he reaches the outer surface and the proportions and volumes correspond, Hartman refines very little. The shape of his work remains robust, which gives it a certain kind of power. His bronze chickens owe their expressiveness to the accurate positioning of the large volumes in space. Because Hartman as bronze-caster has all the necessary knowledge in regard to the complex technical phases from making the mould, casting the bronze and the patina, he can control the creation of his sculptures from the very beginning to the very end.
Education: Academy of Fine Arts, Rotterdam; Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Amsterdam
