Watch a Bronze Get Made from Start to Finish
A few weeks ago, the monastery received the most recently completely bronze piece for the Temple Builder's Memorial. This piece is of two silpis moving a large, roughly hewn block of granite with iron crowbars while using a simple block of wood for leverage. In the long slideshow below we take you through the several steps required to produce a world-class bronze.
Out of curiosity, we asked chief metal craftsman in Loveland, Colorado, Bobby Page, if he was aware of any other similar project to ours. This was his response:
"In Kathy and my 34 plus years of working with thousands of artists and too many projects to count the Temple bronze's are quite unique as we have never seen or worked on a project that tells the story of a process to that scale. I have also asked some local (old time) artisans in the area the same question and they have never heard of anything like it.
"Other than works we have done for Na Aina Kai (a world class botanical garden on Kaua`i) we can't think of any other family of bronze's. Especially workers/builders the common hands with blisters on dusty tired hands going home to rest at the end of a hard day with the echo of hammering still ringing in their ears. The countless tiny bits that get in the eyes even when glasses are worn. The missed stroke of the hammer hitting the hand or even worse marring the work.
"Holly has done such a wonderful depiction of all the pieces in the memorial that I feel quite close to them all working/looking at them, learning what they do and thinking of them as not just a work of art but people like me.
"In my opinion that is what makes this so special. They are alive in their story. And to have so many great works (literally tons) we have had a hand in on beautiful Kauai with the Monastery and Na Aina Kai is something words can't describe and I can't think of a better place.
"It is all perfect. Much Love and many thanks to all on this journey we share.
Bobby"
5 Responses to “Watch a Bronze Get Made from Start to Finish”
From Our Gurus' Teachings
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August 6th, 2016 at 9:19 pm
RT @KauaiMonastery: New blog post: Watch a Bronze Get Made from Start to Finish https://t.co/8NBUbNjjdC
August 7th, 2016 at 6:59 am
OhWow! ‘They’ look so real and alive! So amazing!!!!
August 7th, 2016 at 9:01 pm
So realistic indeed. Amazing work. Congratulations to the team!
Aum
August 9th, 2016 at 1:50 pm
Wow. Thank you for this marvelous visual account. Who but Gurudeva?
Pranams to the extraordinarily gifted artists who created these pieces.
Aum Namasivaya.
August 29th, 2016 at 3:05 am
” elucidates the roots of Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, which today is a secluded, cloistered home and theological seminary housing two dozen dedicated monks who live and serve there full time. They strive to fulfill the dual goals of selfless service and self-transformation through ashtanga yoga, which begins with good character and piety, and leads to deep meditation and ultimate enlightenment.