christian wilson
Mediums Used
Christian Wilson Specializes in Hand Carved Solid Marble Portrait Bust Commissions. He also Hand Carves Portrait Busts in Alabaster as well as Figurative sculpture in Marble and Alabaster.
Marble portraiture was once the most sought after means of celebrating the power and generosity of influential citizens. It was the hallmark of artistic expression and the pride of many great collectors. Today, however, true stone portraiture has been drained of the life blood that once enabled Canova, Bernini and others to reach the heights of their inspired artistry. Inexpensive but fragile clays and plasters, environmentally challenging bonded marble, resin or bronze casts, impersonal machine cut or fast cut slavish copies of models made in different media all offer alternative aesthetics that appear to make unnecessary the cost associated with the time, skill, vision and savoir faire needed to infuse into a stone portrait the life, vitality and breath of a living being.
My portrait busts revitalize the traditional and true art of solid marble portraiture and restore the original and inherent artistry of this art form. I seek to preserve a record of our cultural era in as pure a form with appropriate sensitivity to our environment. As such, I not only hand carve my busts directly out of the blocks of solid marble, I do so as part of the creative process – without machinery and without the use of copying mechanisms. While I will produce a model for approval purposes, I use it only as a guide and allow my creative expression to come through by wielding my tools like painters wield their paintbrushes. There is a subtle but important difference in the aesthetics of work produced through the additive process versus the subtractive process, and while this difference has little importance in abstract and figurative sculpture, it is of critical importance when it comes to breathing life into a stone portrait, flattering the subject’s facial features and bringing out his/her personality.
Sculptures by christian wilson
Credentials
Qualifications
►2003-2008 Travel and study in Italy of marble sculptures by master sculptors
►1999-2002 Training in sculpture
►1999-2002 Training in portraiture and figurative art, life studio sessions
Toronto School of Art, Toronto, ON.
►1982-85 Training in oil portraiture, Royal College of Art, London, England,►2003-2008 Travel and study in Italy of marble sculptures by master sculptors
►1999-2002 Training in sculpture
►1999-2002 Training in portraiture and figurative art, life studio sessions
Toronto School of Art, Toronto, ON.
►1982-85 Training in oil portraiture, Royal College of Art, London, EnglandExhibitions
yes
Christian Wilson was born in Zurich, Switzerland, of British and German parentage. He was trained in oil portraiture at the Royal College of Art in London, England, and practiced there for over ten years while his dealer, Ms. Jane Abbey, sold his paintings to many prestigious collectors and socialites. Christian has since been perfecting his art in hand carving solid marble portraiture and figurative sculpture. Having only recently reemerged in the art market, Christian has already obtained a number of commissions made under confidential agreement. Those he is permitted to mention are: the international actress Ms. Monica Bellucci, the American model, Ms. Christy Turlington, and the Canadian actress Ms. Tricia Helfer.
Christian’s portrait busts revitalize the traditional and true art of solid marble portraiture and his process restores the original and inherent artistry of Canova and Bernini’s art form. As an integral part of his efforts to preserve a record of our cultural era, Christian not only hand carves his busts directly out of the blocks of solid marble, he does so as part of the creative process – without machinery and without the use of copying mechanisms. For his commissions, Christian will produce a model for approval purposes but use it only as a guide. By wielding his various tools like painters wield their paintbrushes, Christian honours the subtle but important nuances that differentiate the model made using an additive process from the final stone portrait carved out using a subtractive process. Through his creative ingenuity – his skill, vision and savoir faire – and by taking the time needed to exert special care, Christian flatters and brings to life the subject’s facial features while allowing the magnificence of the natural stone to compliment the subject’s personality, completing the work when it sings with life and vitality.
The relevance of Christian’s work today is that it calls out for environmentally responsible art. His elegantly carved portrait busts remain durable and resistant to degradation. They need little if any conservation and their production leaves behind only the smallest carbon footprint, using very little electric energy and virtually no toxic substances or materials.
Being one of less than a few contemporary sculptors still producing this type of work in this manner, Christian became the subject of two Rogers TV interviews.
To view the first interview, go to (skip past the Halloween introduction to about 1.5 minutes into the 9 minute segment) : http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=237 and rid=16 and sid=126 and gid=103319
To view the second interview, go to: https://vimeo.com/98754622
Christian Wilson’s portrait busts show a personal type of classicism influenced by the idealized, soft romantic spiritualism of the Pre-Raphaelite painters and hinting at the fleeting potential movement characteristic of John Singer Sargent. Christian`s work also incorporates, in a subtle way, the influences of Antonio Canova and Auguste Rodin.
2014 Second TV interview on RogersTV re. Preservation project w. Roland Borchert:
https://vimeo.com/98754622
2012 First TV interview on RogersTV discussing work with Matt Switzer
(skip past the Halloween introduction to about 1.5 minutes into the 9 minute segment) : http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=237&rid=16&sid=126&gid=103319