Pierre Riche, a distinguished artist, was commissioned back in 2004 to create a truly exceptional masterpiece: an exquisite sculpture of the renowned "American Saddlebred" horse. This magnificent creation, destined for a discerning restaurant owner in the heart of Tribeca, New York City, stands an imposing 4 feet tall and spans an impressive 5 feet in width. What makes this artwork truly remarkable is not just its captivating presence but also the unique materials from which it is fashioned—meticulously welded reclaimed metals converge to breathe life into this one-of-a-kind sculpture.
Pierre Riche's journey as an artist traces back to his formative years at the prestigious School of The Art Institute Of Chicago in 1997, where he delved deeply into the intricate art of bronze casting and foundry work. The seeds of an extraordinary idea were sown during those early days – the notion of creating a bronze cast from this exceptional masterpiece. Remarkably, his client shared his vision, and an agreement was reached to create a mold for future bronze casting.
However, as life often takes unforeseen turns, Pierre's path led him to California shortly after crafting the mold. The mold, imbued with the potential to give birth to a bronze replica of this magnificent sculpture, has since been carefully preserved in storage. To this day, a bronze casting of this remarkable artwork remains a tantalizing prospect, yet unrealized.
The rarity and value of this potential investment cannot be overstated. This sculpture represents the artist's first foray into half-scale horse artworks, and the prospect of owning a bronze casting derived from the original mold is a privilege reserved for discerning collectors with a keen eye for exceptional artistry.
If you are intrigued by the prospect of acquiring a bronze casting of this remarkable horse sculpture and wish to delve further into this unique opportunity, we warmly invite you to connect with the artist directly. Your inquiry would be met with the utmost respect and enthusiasm, as we believe that this masterpiece deserves to be cherished and admired for generations to come.

"Golden Possibilities: From Dreams to Reality"
     In a serendipitous encounter, a Reno-based blockchain company discovered the captivating sculpture "Iron Horse" by renowned artist Pierre Riche, standing proudly near the Truckee River. Enchanted by its allure, the company embarked on a visionary quest, envisioning a monumental masterpiece to grace the grounds of the Tesla plant in Nevada, alongside the new highway. Pierre, known for his signature scroll pattern method, proposed an audacious concept: a magnificent 20 ft. tall rearing palomino horse sculpture.
    Excitement brewed as the interested company sought support from wild horse advocacy groups and associations, but alas, the unforeseen arrival of the global pandemic in early 2020 shattered their plans. The project hit a roadblock, leaving Pierre's extensive drawings and a meticulously crafted maquette in limbo, awaiting their moment.
    Years passed, and hope flickered like a distant ember. However, amidst the recovery from the virus scare in 2022, a glimmer of opportunity emerged. Inspired by the overpopulation plight of wild horses in Nevada, Pierre secured an honorarium grant from the Burning Man festival, sponsored by a wild horse awareness group. "Golden Possibilities" was born—a 10 ft. tall welded metal sculpture, painted in the radiant hues of a palomino, symbolizing the unwavering belief in life's boundless potential.
    Burning Man 2022 witnessed Pierre's creation proudly standing among thirteen other artistic marvels on the playa, igniting awe and evoking a sense of limitless wonder. Soon after, the sculpture found itself adorning the entrance of the esteemed Reno/Tahoe International Art Fair, where its majestic presence captivated visitors.
    Currently, this life-sized equine masterpiece, weighing approximately 1,200 lbs with its sturdy base, is gracing the exhibition space on Mare Island, California, under a rental contract until November 2023. Its resplendent allure beckons art enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike, offering a unique opportunity to bring home a piece of artistry that represents the golden possibilities that life holds when one believes.
    As Pierre Riche continues to manifest his creative vision, a smaller 5 ft. version of "Golden Possibilities" takes form for a private residence, while commissioned iterations of the extraordinary series are offered to those who yearn to embrace the beauty and hope encapsulated within each equine sculpture. For inquiries and to embark on your own journey of artistic collaboration, please contact the artist directly.

Early in 2022 Pierre Riche Art was awarded an honorarium grant from a wild horses advocacy group to make a sculpture for Burning Man. 
    Nevada is a hot-spot for wild horses and the issue of Wild horse endangerment. The grant funded 14 horse sculptors and was curated by Horse sculptor Adrian Landon and his partner. The exhibit was called Wild Horses Of The American West. 
   After the horse sculptures were shown for a week on the Burning Man playa, the equine art sculptures were transported and exhibited at the Reno/ Tahoe International art fair in Reno NV. 
    

Here is a photo of the metal butterfly sculpture finished and  installed in Aptos, Ca.

      During the last few decades, the utilization of metal and steel for art sculpture has become progressively more popular. We see them outside government schools, buildings, malls, and other public spaces. Mirror-polished stainless-steel sculptures are very well known in public art projects because of their adaptable fabrication, alluring finishing, and exceptional capacity to resist UV damage and weather corrosion.
        Not just are the outcomes of custom metal sculpture fabrication exceptional and lovely, however the durability, malleability, and relative reasonableness of most metals have brought about numerous architects utilizing them to make beautifying sculptures for a wide range of design projects. In this blog, we'll clarify how they are fabricated in shops.

​How Is Custom Metal Sculpture Fabrication Done?

Albeit the word sculpture’ summons pictures of a singular artist making wizardry out of a large block of marble, the custom metal sculpture fabrication process has many moving parts and will in general be a collaboration including engineers, architects, and metal fabrication experts.
The process starts by styling your steel. Utilizing software with CAD and CAM combination, design experts make 2D profiles of the different pieces that will ultimately form the completed sculpture. Then, at that point, the proper material is chosen, with corrosion resistance being a fundamental component for welded metal artwork that will be put outside.
Despite the fact that there are various ways of cutting the metal parts for use in a sculpture, computer numerical control (CNC) plasma cutters support more noteworthy accuracy and more exact outcomes. They are associated with a computer, which is outfitted with the previously mentioned design software and coordinates the plasma torch along the ideal toolpath. The cutter utilizes concentrated electrical currents to slice through electrically conductive metals while high-velocity gas eliminates the melted material from the space, guaranteeing a cleaner cut.
Contingent upon the ideal result, the cut metal would then be able to be shaped utilizing at least one of the accompanying fabrication innovations.

• Metal bending: Metal bending is done using many different teckniques: heating and hammering, cold forming with a press or hand tools.
• welding:    welding is the key component to this type of metal sculpting. Mig welding is the most common kind of welding used but on occasion tig welding is used as well.
• shop press bending: Utilizing pre-created dies that can be changed by the ideal aspect and shape, this process includes placing a flat piece of metal in between the press head and the jig shape to bend or shape it.

When all bits of the sculpture have been finished, they are welded at their connection points to expand their solidarity. A few designers like to keep the welds noticeable as a rough and earthy aesthetic touch however assuming the objective is a smooth surface, the subsequent stride is to grind and sand down the weld region until it mixes in with the encompassing metal, trailed by an exhaustive polishing treatment that adds a last layer of magnificence to the completed piece.
Assuming appropriately fabricated, metal sculptures will endure for the long haul in basically all climate conditions. In the event that you are an architect, your task will accomplish the best outcomes assuming you work with a custom metal fabricator with the bits of knowledge and experience required to transform a useful material like metal into a lovely masterpiece.
 
Pierre Riche - The Metal Sculpture Fabrication Expert

Pierre Riche is known for his best welded metal artwork since 1992. Pierre endeavours to make the most exciting and unique sculpture, functional art and welded metal artwork conceivable.
At Pierre Riche Art, our metal shaping abilities incorporate custom metal sculpture fabrication for architects and other design experts. By talented use of  welding, cutting, heating, hammering, and finishing  processes. we make custom sculpture that accurately match the proposed vision of your unique request.
We have dealt with many sculptures and can deal with projects that require the accompanying:

• Custom contours and shapes
• Natural and mathematical forms
• Convex and concave shapes.

To talk about your design fabrication needs, get in touch with us today!

This steel face sculpture is the start to a series. The theme and message of the series is still being developed. This metal art face sculpture was designed to either hang on a wall or on a stand. This one is titled "Iron Face".

On this small welded metal art figure sculpture I applied an acrylic metal stain. It allows the metal to show through in light layers and can be layered up for a darker color. When the stain has dried I apply a clear coat lacquer over the top to seal it. 

Whether it's a stainless steel or mild steel welded metal figure sculpture I'm starting, it all begins with the armature. It's very helpful to have accurate anatomical measurements for the bone structure. It will look awkward if this is not done right.
     I TIG weld the stainless, which is very finicky to get to weld. the steel gets oxyacetylene welded which is fairly easy but took allot of practice.  

Sierra Azul plant nursery holds a jurried sculpture show every year. They always have a beautiful plack made with the local newspaper article on it. My sculpture "The Crown She Wears" was featured in it.