Exceptional Mixed Media Fiber Sculptures by Bobbe McClure

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I'm delighted to offer this pair of museum quality sculptures by Bobbe McClure of Texas. Made of horn, desert hardwood, … Read more I'm delighted to offer this pair of museum quality sculptures by Bobbe McClure of Texas. Made of horn, desert hardwood, and mixed fibers. Acquired from the original owners who commissioned them from McClure in 2000.

Dimensions: Larger 41"h x 14"w x 16"d. Smaller 16"h x 8"w x 6"d

McClure began as a maker of utilitarian brushes and brooms, eventually moving to more sculptural forms. There is little public information about McClure besides favorable mentions in the NYTimes (1993) and Washington Post (2001), and a featured profile in "Objects for Use: Handmade by Design", the accompanying monograph for a 2000 exhibit at the American Craft Museum (now the Museum of Arts & Design, NYC). A copy of this book is included with purchase, as is an anonymized copy of the fax correspondence between original owners and McClure that details the commissioning process. The following biographical info is from this fax correspondence:

"My work began in traditional brush making, evolving into plaited and woven fiber sculptures using techniques which I developed. After graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1974, I began making brushes, gradually discovering my new innovations and techniques. Upon finding softer and more flexible fiber, I was able to refine my work and encompass more detail into my designs. All of my sculptures are created individually using natural elements such as tampico (the fiber derived from the leaf of a small agave plant), palma, palmyra, desert wood and cactus, horn from exotics, bone from wildlife, porcupine quills, boar bristle, camel and horse hair, javalina hair, and various seeds and desert plant life. Designs are woven into the piece and plaited where appropriate. Hand sewing is used to hold the shape and add style. A manual kickwheel allows me to keep tension on the cord to achieve a tautly bound piece while weaving the design into the fiber. Working without employees and living in a remote part of west Texas, I can work undisturbed and strive to push the limits of artistic expression." See less