Page 419 - Christian Maas Full Book

in the Odyssey, bronze offers the sculptor durability and immortality. More, its ambiguity is in perfect

agreement with the artist, indeed, as a man of contrasts, Christian Maas was bound to be attracted a
matter so similar to himself : warm and cool, smooth and rough, matt and brilliant. Everything becomes

possible with it, and Christian quickly realized bronze would be the only material able to answer his
demands.

From 1988, Christian would carry out his first masterworks in the studios that would welcome him

among other artists. His way, then again very original, would lead him very quickly to undertake a series
of tributes to illustrious predecessors, homage to Zadkine, to Brancusi, Moore etc...

Christian Maas first source of inspiration to express his vision of humanity is daily life. He

worked on themes treated by sculptors from the 19th century, but he knew how to make the art
of the past become modern. Christian Maas developed a unique kind of sculpting, which reward-

ed him with the majority of his initial prizes obtained in the numerous international contests in
which he participated. His works about women are a testimony on contemporary life (“Sylvia dans

tous ses ? tats” series and the “Warriors”). What Christian calls “Sculpture de genre” imposed it-
self as a new style and he pushed forward in his research by following his mind only without tak-

ing notice of anything that could have disrupted him, especially not his detractors or the numer-
ous jealousies he causes. He struggled to foil any traps set against him. He notably has to face an

other artist’s complaint, which some qualified as ridiculous and opposite to the rule of
the corporation. Himself had to undertake a series of lawsuits in 1998 against covetous

merchants who put copies of some of his works on the market. Indeed, Christian Maas would
be abundantly copied by Asian foundries. He had developed a new style fitting today’s tastes

and this did not go unnoticed by the mercantile tradesmen, mainly his way to treat with ani-
mals and bacchic sculptures. Christian Maas was the first artist to create at the beginning

of the nineties a series of full-sized sculptures dedicated to grapevine. Of course it had been done a lot
in the 19th century, but in his own personal way, Christian gave this genre a new start, with the talent

which characterizes him. So foundries and merchants did not hesitate to make Asian artists manufacture
the same sculptures. Christian would suffer much damage because of the diffusion of these counterfeits,

sometimes very similar but of cheap quality, lacking the subtlety and skill of his hand. For what concerns
the feminine sculptures, Christian could rest quiet, because Asian artists do not know how to make Eu-

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