Centaur Brought Down By Broken Heart by James Croak (contemporary)

As I have mentioned in an earlier post ("An Interrupted Wooing" by J. Edgar Stouffer), I have a lifelong fondness for high fantasy art. This has extended to my bronze collection. Sculptures in bronze within the fantasy milieu are, however, quite rare, a veritable snipe hunt for a collector. The mere amount of work and expense involved in creating a bronze sculpture typically precludes this genre as fantasy art is not deemed "worthy" of said expense and work by the mainstream art community. That is, in large part, why sculptures such as my "An Interrupted Wooing" by J. Edgar Stouffer and this one by James Croak are highly coveted by myself and my fellow collectors who enjoy such works.

A few years back, I had seen this piece come up for auction. The description was very spartan (as usual with most of the pieces I buy), the price a bit on the high side of my normal range and not within the mainstream theme of my collection. I placed it in my "watch list" and kept an eye on it. Eventually, the seller changed the auction to a buy-it-now format. Still it had only one watcher (myself) while it spent a while being periodically renewed. The seller added the "make an offer" option, but sadly it was while I was in the early throes of my current spate of ill health and while I was at my most impoverished. A few weeks later, however, I found myself with a few extra bucks in hand and facing several months flat on my back in bed, awaiting yet another surgery. I made an offer that was pretty low, figuring I'd be turned down, but the seller accepted within minutes! When it arrived at my home, I was quite pleasantly surprised at just how large and rather heavy it is as well as how detailed the work is. I promptly dusted it and set it on one of my display tables along with several of my other bronzes that are definitely NOT of an Indian ( I have several Grand Tour bronzes as well - more on those later).

Until recently, I had been content to own this plaque in ignorance of the maker, believing that searching for someone named "Croak" was a fool's errand, especially as it related to a sculpture involving death. The other day I woke up to the fact that I hadn't even tried to look. Once I searched "Croak" and "sculptor," however, I began to feel foolish indeed! Immediately the name James Croak popped up, links to his works making up most of the first page. Now, I'm not that familiar with contemporary sculpture by and large, knowing only a few names and works, mainly ones that came up in my research on sculpting classes (yes, I have my own ambitions beyond merely collecting). I now feel like the world has been moving past me while I was looking the other way. James Croak has been a "wunderkind" of the contemporary art world for a few decades now. In 1985, unable to afford to cast one of his works in bronze, he began casting using a mixture of dirt and glue as his medium, and in that act creating a new and bold statement. His "Dirt People" took the art world by storm. His accolades and honors are many and easily found with the most basic of searches, or by simply clicking the link to the right.

Upon finding his website, I snapped these pictures and sent them to him to inquire if he was the artist who created it, the whole time more than half certain that he wasn't. The next morning he sent a brief response simply stating, "Yes, I made that." I was floored. I am still.

In a subsequent email, Mr. Croak elaborated a bit, writing that this was one of two that he had made of this piece and was also quite rare as he has not made many bronzes at all. He also mentioned that, for insurance purposes, a small piece of his had recently sold at auction in NY for a sum in the five figures. Again, I was floored. I am still.

Depicted here on a roughly oval shaped base is a fully realized (a fully modeled figure, not a relief) nude male centaur who has been brought down by a lioness (likewise fully rendered), which has him by the throat. Hoof prints lead up to his fallen body and behind him is a discarded pennant upon which is written, "TRUTH JUSTICE MERCY." On the back it is signed "CROAK" with the date "1985." Also on the back are two threaded blind holes in lugs that sit flush with the rim, one at each side, but no way to hang it short of first mounting it on a base of some sort. When propped up on its rim, the plaque is too top heavy to stand and tips either forward or backward. It is a very solid piece!

I do not believe it was displayed for long after its creation, until my purchasing it. The piece is completely damage free, it only had a light coating of old dust that came off easily and left no bad spots. The patina is a little thin on the centaur's rear haunch, the highest spot on the whole piece, but that's not unusual given the age of this piece. I feel that I'm fortunate to have been able to purchase this plaque. It's certainly (almost) unique!

"Centaur Brought Down By Broken Heart," by James Croak, bronze, 1985, one of two made, front

"Centaur Brought Down By Broken Heart," by James Croak, bronze, 1985, one of two made, signature on back