Paul Wegner
Collection

Known for his "fragmented" sculpting style, Paul Wegner
is nationally acclaimed as the originator of this unique and eye-catching
form. His interest began when he read a book called Heads and
Tails, about Rodin protege Malvina Hoffman. He looked at the pictures
of her sculpture parts and saw the clay heads on one shelf and
the hands on the shelf below. It led to a new thought; what if
those parts could remain separate, yet be connected somehow -
perhaps by sculptured hair, or a dress, or a drape? Using molds
that he happened to have in his studio, he began experimenting
with the possibilities, laying the parts on the floor and imagining
how to connect them.
Wegner brought the first two examples of his fragmentation process
- a sculpture of two elephants and one of a woman playing the
harp - to a show to gauge the reaction. The result he says, "was
like the rest of my work was invisible." He had done what
every artist dreams of; he had created a style that his name would
be associated with from then on. "Now people know, thats
a Wegner," he explains. Wegner lives in Southern California
with his family, He raises horses on a ranch, sculpts in his studio,
and maintains an active involvement with the activities of his
children.