I purchased this bronze many years ago as a mystery. The price was extremely low, what I consider a throwaway price (far less than its value in metal). It had been put up for live auction several times and had remained unsold for over two years. I think the auctioneer was happy that it finally left their warehouse!
The sculpture arrived seriously dirty, and much to my shame I just pushed it aside as more exciting pieces filtered in. The dust continued to layer over the pre-existing crud while I had it sitting beside a table next to the door. I have just cleaned and waxed it for the first time and it's starting to look nice. There are a LOT of undercuts that proved stubborn to get clean, but I persisted until it was spotless and fully waxed. While it is still within the realm of what modern experts call “Brutalist,” many details that were obscured by the layered dirt were revealed and the whole sculpture now looks deliberate versus amateurish, yet to me it lacks the feel of a practiced sculptor. It could well be an art student’s work. As it stands, it's right on the cusp between the representative and brutalist styles.
I have zero idea who the artist was. The bronze is quite large and involved, the only one that I have ever seen like it. My assumption was that anything that someone put so much work into would have been signed somewhere and it was just up to me to find it. Well, I was wrong. I've gone over this bronze with a magnifying glass and have found no indication of anything approaching writing on it. The artist was saying everything in the sculpt, I suppose. The bronze is mounted to a flat wood base. On the underside of the wood is penciled G.E.P. in large cursive letters, with the word or name Pinto and the number 4 under it. Those are my only clues, GEP and Pinto, and that may have been the name of the owner. I have looked for years now for answers and I'm out of ideas.
This sculpture depicts three Indian men who appear to be looking for or at something distant. All are fit and muscular, sinewy even, in the prime of life. By their dress and haircuts they are likely from the Southwest, Maricopa or Pima perhaps. One is standing up, his feet planted in a wide stance, his arms raised, his hands shading his eyes from the sunlight. He is wearing a coyote or wolf head skin on his head and a quiver full of arrows on his back, a brief loincloth and nothing else. He is standing over two other Native American men. One is seated on the ground to his left and is leaning against standing guy's left leg as he too peers into the distance. In his right hand, behind the standing Indian, he is holding a curved shield against the ground. He also is wearing only a tight loincloth and yes, he's definitely a man. The third man is laying down, his left ear to the ground as he tries to hear the vibrations in the ground. The listening man is also wearing only a loincloth, although it is impossible to see due to the shield and his pose. Overall, the bronze depicts three Indian warriors who are looking for their quarry and are ready to fight. Are they looking for the herd or the enemy? Maybe the 3:10 to Yuma? I have no idea.
HELP!!!!
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| Unknown bronze statue possibly by G. E. Pinto, front |
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| Unknown bronze statue possibly by G. E. Pinto, rear |
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| Unknown bronze statue possibly by G. E. Pinto, closeup of standing figure |
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| Unknown bronze statue possibly by G. E. Pinto, closeup of crouching figure |
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