Lowbrow?

An underground art movement from the 1970s, Lowbrow Art—also known as pop surrealism—is usually associated with comic books, various types of music, hot-rod street culture, and other expressions of popular culture. Because of a lack of academic / critical scholarly writing has grown from inside the movement, not much critical work has been published outside the movement, either.

Thanks to artists who celebrate a conversation distinguishing between high and low art, fine art and folk art, and popular culture and high-art culture, lowbrow continues to gain ground—even if underground.

We have learned that foundries are often associated with fine art, and therefore bronze is often considered “out of reach” of those with a sense of humor, or a wish to create artwork that is accessible to everyone.

At Black Hills Bronze, we believe that Lowbrow does not in any way suggest low quality, and as usual, we want art to go exactly where art needs to be. In that spirit, we are thrilled to do our first job for a self-described Lowbrow artist—CHET ZAR. Check out our post here, view our Zar page at Black Hills Bronze, or have a gander at Chet’s own site.

Related articles

• The *Pop Surrealism* Art Movement (artistmarketingsalon.wordpress.com)
• C. S. Lewis on the lowbrow/highbrow distinction (reprog.wordpress.com)

Innovative methods to fund bronze projects

Kickstarter and IndieGoGo are sites through which art and other projects can receive funding—but how do we attract enough people, even with such formats? How do we explain our most fabulous concepts in a way that people truly understand our passion, our mission, our most creative expressions of ourselves?

Black Hills Bronze is on its own path: to support only the most deserving, most inspiring, most helpful bronze sculpture projects in America. In concert with our own mission—of working for a REASON, of melting bronze because WE MUST, of connecting with the ELEMENTS, with the ESSENCE—we know that making great artwork for those who need it most is the only RIGHT ACTION.

Join us in our new efforts to create our very own whirlwind of interest, our very own vortex of passion—and join us in our efforts to fund good works.

Just Getting Started

In the effort to reach out with more intention, to “get creative” about creativity, to create relationships and projects through new connections… we are just getting our feet under this blog. Please help us in our pursuit by adding your thoughts and ideas.

Also, Grant’s artwork will be placed on Etsy.com and Behance.com, but we’re not quite up and running in those departments yet. Surely we have his basics listed on these sites, but artwork will be added bit by bit. Thanks for your patience!

Welcome to Bronze Standard(s)

It’s a new day. It’s a time when we all must think more creatively, think collaboratively, and consider ways in which the arts can allow us to reach out.

We’ll do it with the help of Bronze Standard(s), a name that means considering what is important and reaching for it. Bronze Standard(s) means working in metals, with a connection to the earth. Bronze Standard(s) means the Standard family—along with the family that has gathered around the Black Hills Bronze fine art foundry, the artwork of Standard Metalworks, Art of the Hills magazine, and local and statewide arts organizations.

Let’s start a conversation that covers everything from the Creative Economy, to worthwhile projects, to sustainability, to providing service in health, education, and through partnerships.

Let’s start gathering our resources, creating something with our hands and minds—and thereby creating a better world.