DIMITAR LUKANOV SCULPTOR

Dimitar Lukanov, Entrance to Now

Dimitar Lukanov, moment of contemplative rest by the Black Sea, Bulgaria

Photographed by Herve Fabre, here it is - my Sculpture Journal from the South of France.  I created these 8 sculptures and numerous drawings as a veritable visual diary of those extraordinary days spent on the Cote d’Azur. Realized in only 7 days – work in clay, firing and glazing – the sculptures represent my ideas for eventual monumental projects.

Saturated with so much, and utterly complex labor, Light to Sky has made the magical voyage to America - in perfect shape - to grace the Arrivals Hall at JFK Terminal 4!

No computer whatsoever was used to map out piece or/and in its detail or as a whole. Made by eye, fit by eye, scaled by eye.

Its intricate and delicate design gives the impression of movement by being both transparent yet solid. Its boundary-less silhouette, like a stairway to the sky, conveys the movement of travelers passing through time and space. This unique sculpture was created in the timeless lost wax tradition – the oldest technology of casting bronze. Originating in the Middle East and later known in Greece, China, Etruscan Italy, Benin, India, Thrace, and the West, this labor-intensive process remains unchanged after 5,000 years. For Light to Sky, eight large sections were formed separately in beeswax. Each of them was plastered in several layers with a foundry ceramic mix. The result, called ceramic mold, was cured in a kiln. Once the wax melts it disappears and thus becomes ‘the lost wax’. The beeswax sculpture evaporates leaving only hollow spaces imprinted within the ceramic mold. The bronze is melted separately with a touch of aluminum for plasticity. A single pouring feeds the optimally heated ceramic molding. This elaborate process creates a truly unique piece that can never be duplicated or controlled - as the degree to which the molten metal reaches even the tiniest cavities of what was formerly wax remains unforeseeable.

History of Time and Voice of Tomorrow, the two remaining monumental sculptures that comprise the 2014 JFK International Airport Terminal 4 Sculpture Commission. The clay sculpture, History of Time is a hand-build wonder consisting of 70 mini-ceramic sculptures. The many become one, and each indispensable in the whole ensemble. Voice of Tomorrow is a pulsating heart; placed at eye level; Each segment is three-dimensional, so the sculpture can be observed from every angle. Adding to the magic of this piece is its minimal depth - a mere two feet for a structure as tall as eight feet and 10 feet wide. Comprised of 150 feet of bent steel tubing and 150 elements, Voice of Tomorrow radiates its warmth beyond the physical boundaries of its construction. Like Outside Time, it is 90-percent airborne. Voice of Tomorrow is a singular, starting source of energy, a veritable origin of warmth, and thus light.

Overview of rare and outsanding work by celebrated artist Dimitar Lukanov. Large scale public art projects in the United States and overseas. Sculptures are one-of-a-kind creations - via the lost-wax method with no welding used when bronze is used, or welded when steel/aluminum is the core material.

one photo of light to sky, executed in the lost wax method with minimal welding, jfk terminal 4, arrivals hall, center.

in its natural habitat. the gateway from new york city. steps from the control tower at jfk. the heart of the airport. sculpture that lives, breathes amongst people, aircraft, the sky, ciouds, the passage of time. an immaterial 4600 lbs, 90% airborne structure, weightlessly floats in the air..