2011 Artist Blog - Entry #16

Geronimo, Bronze, 17"x11"

Allosaurus, Bronze, Painted Resin, ¼ Life size

Christopher Darga is a contemporary American portraiture sculptor residing in Hollywood. He acquired interest in sculpting after Jurassic Park came out. Inspired, 2 years later he created a line of dinosaurs for a modeling company. The medium he uses in his day to day work is clay after which he casts all of his sculptures in bronze. He did hand-paint his line of dinosaurs that are carefully crafted and show a truly masterful execution of sculptural detail. Darga's main subject matter in portraiture is, of course, people most of whom range from U.S. presidents to American Indians - the people of the past. He does an outstanding job in capturing the essence of a character, emotion, and deep thought in his sculpts. A perfect example is the bust under the title of "Geronimo" whose striking glance reveals a determined individual full of commitment and pride, yet there is a deep sense of alertness and even anxiety which is reminiscent of the time of invasions by Mexico and the U.S. on Apache tribal lands. The likeness as well as the soul of the individual is carefully captured by Darga's craftsmanship and deep knowledge of facial anatomy and the effects of age. Special attention was paid even to the subtlest of things that make a huge difference in the final product by giving life to the piece. From my own personal knowledge, working from photographs is not an easy task by any means, yet Darga did a fascinating job all throughout. This applies to all of Darga's works made with care, precision, and heart. (word count - 262)

Mother Teresa, Bronze, 17"x13"

Abraham Lincoln, Bronze, 18 1/2" tall x 10" wide