The Art of cast iron

The  Art of Cast Iron

We let ourselves in the Art Fusions Foundry, in Auvergne, to make you discover- through a film- the different stages of the making of bronze sculpture. 

The Art Fusion Foundry is located in Charbonnières-les-Vieilles, a few kilometres away from Tazenat’s Gour, a superb volcanic lake, north of the Chaîne des Puys. The fire-shaped landscape has always fascinated David de Gourcuff, the owner. It is this very fascination that lead him to give up his job as a financial executive in a big company to start, in 1991, a more flamboyant activity: cast iron.  

He employs today around thirty persons and offers his expertise to the most demanding contemporary artists. Numerous artworks by Arman were created here, until he passed away in 2005.

David accepted to let us in his workshop to show us how to create a bronze sculpture, using the lost-wax technique. The video we brought back will allow you to discover the different steps of this long process, which starts with the making of a mould and ends with the burnishing, the “dressing up in light”. A process that requires an infinite variety of gestures, tools and materials and whose success mainly relies on the quality of the relationship between the artist and the founder.

Enjoy the discovery!

Those who want to learn more can watch Stéphane Lambert’s very beautiful film, “Le Feu de l’Art” (2004, length: 26 minutes), also shot at the Fusions Foundry.