The Golfer - Castlegar, BC - Figurative Public Sculpture on Waymarking.com

"The Golfer" is a bronze and wrought iron sculpture created by Ossamede Obazee for the 2012 Castlegar Sculpturewalk. It was purchased by organizers of the Travis Green Community Golf Tournament and donated to the Castlegar Golf Club. It is now permanently mounted in front of the club house. An interesting sculpture, It is somewhat abstracted yet perfectly figurative. A description can't do it justice - that's what the gallery is for.

Osamede Obazee – ‘The Golfer’ (bronze)
Continuing a long tradition of crafting symbolic objects from metal as his African forbearers have done for hundreds of years, Osamede Obazee combines traditional art forms with recycled materials and, often, New World subjects. The final result is compelling contemporary sculptures in lustrous bronze and wrought iron.

Last year, his sculpture ‘The Guitarist’ stood guard full of conveyed energy outside the Element nightclub. His entry this year portrays a different individual pursuit, again displayed in bronze. ‘The Golfer’ is fresh from a year at Sioux Falls’ Sculpture Walk and shows the immense talent of Obazee just as ‘The Guitarist’ did in 2011. Sculpted at the point of follow through, “The Golfer’ looks skyward from under the bill of his cap as his eyes follow the flight of a well struck ball, club draped behind him displaying a proper finishing stance. Spaces and flourishes in the figure lend the piece a bit of abstraction while staying true to form.

“I like to sculpt figures engaged in activities that allow lots of expressiveness,” says the San Francisco, California-based sculptor. “Whether the work is abstract in nature or highly realistic, metal or wood, I like to incorporate elements and styles passed on by my Benin Edo tribal ancestors into finished pieces that are modern in feel.”

Obazee’s body of work is impressive in its variety and mediums:
‘Embrace’ and ‘Jubilation’ are ceramic and wood abstractions respectively, ‘The Golfer’ and ‘Guitarist’ realistic figurative metals while ‘Mask and ‘Warrior’ adhere towards traditional African sculpture forms.

Then there are his ornamental gates. Fusing functionality, traditional imagery and structured symmetrical patterns together with flair and stylistic flourish , he produces wrought iron beauty with a purpose. “Certainly I feel the gates I make are works of art. There is no doubt about that in my mind,” says Obazee. “Yes, they serve a purpose - but to me that is secondary to the imagery and patterns of them.” His majestic gates reside on two continents – that of his birth and his current residence. Simultaneously, his status as one of the foremost practitioners of contemporary African-influenced sculpture means his work is found world-wide, and in high demand.

‘The Golfer’ presents just one of Obazee’s many styles. Like all his sculptures, it injects influences from the past with his vision of progressive modern art. The result is sculpting that is undeniably distinctive and always lovely to admire.
From Castlegar Sculpturewalk

Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: The Golfer Figure Type: Human Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Ossamede Obazee Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: Created 2011 Placed 2013 Materials used: Bronze & Iron Location: Castlegar Golf Club club house

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