Wolverine
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The twelve North American animals in this new series of bronze animal vessels were selected and critiqued by Bill Newsom of San Francisco, a true ally for the protection of all animals and their environment. A thriving native wildlife of North America is significant and symbolic to the stability of the continent and to world ecology. The organic shape of these bronze vessels suggests each animal continue existing with dignity in its natural habitat. Endangered wildlife should be preserved and protected as part of the moral and spiritual foundation of mankind.
Bruce Hasson’s new series of sculptures focuses on endangered animals of North America. He intends his work to bring attention to all animals throughout the world that are threatened with extinction owing to climate change, habitat destruction, and man’s overall negligence of the environment. Hasson who trained at the Academies of Florence and Carrara, is renowned for his great bells for peace. In 1995, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations in San Francisco, Hasson made a carbon steel bell from melted weapons, a metaphoric casting from swords into plowshares. In 1999 the artist created his huge Millennia bell sculpture also cast from melted weapons and weighing 1800 pounds. Intended as a monument for the third millennium, it was first exhibited at the Oakland Museum and San Francisco City Hall and later installed at the Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome in 2000, where Mikhail Gorbachev struck the bell inaugurating the Nobel Peace Prize summit. In 2010 Hasson created seven bronze sculptural volcanoes and a series of works on paper for an exhibition in San Francisco addressing climate change. Hasson’s works are collected throughout the US, Europe and South America.
Parts of the bio where extracted from Art of Engagement by Peter Selz