Cast in Bronze, Drawn with Mud explores the layered relationship between tradition, transformation, and the enduring nature of storytelling through art. Bronze casting is one of the world's oldest sculptural techniques, most famously associated with European traditions—from ancient Roman statues to the expressive works of Rodin in France. As the American frontier era came to a close, artists like C.M. Russell adapted the medium to depict the mythos of the West, giving form to its stories through a three-dimensional lens.
In these paintings, that trajectory is reversed—flattening bronze’s dimensionality back into the two-dimensional alongside traditional Native American drawings and petroglyphs. This shift is both aesthetic and conceptual. It creates a kind of meta-narrative, one that reflects on how art has evolved across cultures, while acknowledging the deep roots and resilience of Indigenous mark-making. The work becomes a dialogue between two histories: one native, etched in stone and earth; the other , cast in bronze.
The patina on the bronze carries its own symbolism. On one level, it represents the passage of time—reminding us how dramatically life in the American West has changed over just a few centuries. As metal weathers, the blue-green patina that forms is both a sign of age and a protective layer. In this way, it becomes a metaphor for preservation: of memory, of history, and of stories. Like the petroglyphs that have endured for centuries on rock faces throughout the Southwest, it helps to shield the past while keeping it visible to the present.
- Julian Centofante