There are many ways to tell a story. Some use the written or spoken word, while others rely on the creation of music or art. Stephen Rautenbach, a South African sculptor, seeks to weave tales into wax and metal.
Amid the hustle and bustle of the town of Stellenbosch sits a small sculpture gallery in which a host of creatures live in silent harmony.
A hare and a heron jostle for space on a cluttered desktop, while a hippopotamus hangs suspended in an elegant dive above an antique cabinet. Curious maquettes peer from every surface – a mingling of mammals, fish and fowl. In the centre of the room sits a spotted eagle-owl, surveying its companions with an impassive air.
Through working with the same materials over time, Stephen Rautenbach – a South African sculptor, and owner of the Stephen Rautenbach Studio Gallery – has naturally developed a practical style of working. “It doesn’t matter what I work in now. You can see that it’s my work, because I do it consistently and constantly,” says Stephen. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
The creator of this motionless menagerie is Stephen Rautenbach, a South African sculptor, and owner of the Stephen Rautenbach Studio Gallery. The gallery serves as a space in which Stephen can display his art, as well as a studio in which to design new pieces.
“I don’t sit down and necessarily plan what I’m going to do next. That’s why I’ve got all my sculptures standing around me, as opposed to putting them out and not seeing them,” says Stephen. “I like seeing my work surround me, as it keeps my trajectory in mind.”
Stephen Rautenbach aims to capture old mythologies and moral stories in his sculptures. The symbol of the owl is often used to represent wisdom. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
Creating with wax
The initial models for Stephen’s sculptures are created using wax – a technique that he learnt while studying a BA in fine art at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
“I was taught methodologies in wax that I’ve expanded on and developed to suit me,” says Stephen. “I have a relatively clean space, and limited space, in Stellenbosch. So wax […] works practically from a cleanliness point of view.”
“Sculpture is an escape for me. I immerse myself in it.”
The sculptures that Stephen creates are often inspired by poetry, mythology or stories, such as the Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. “This comes forth in the animalia that I do. If you look around…it’s mostly animals. But they come from a point of view of rhyme and reason,” he explains.
The surreal aspect of Stephen Rautenbach’s work was influenced by his contact with Leon de Bliquy, a renowned South African painter. “Besides my passion for realism, I think [De Bliquy] ignited a whole passion for the fantasy side,” says Stephen. “You can take whatever trajectory you want…because it’s your world, and it’s your vision.” PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
One of Stephen’s wax models, a giant hare that stands over a metre tall, is inspired by Aesop’s fable of The Tortoise and the Hare in which a tortoise wins a race against a hare. Upon close inspection, one can find the tiny figure of a tortoise in the eye of the hare. This is intended to show the tortoise winning the race, reflected in the eye of the hare, according to Stephen.
“It’s a play with scale, and the larger [the sculpture] gets, the more surreal the work gets,” he says.
Through the creation of sculptures, Stephen Rautenbach is able to make some of his fondest childhood memories and stories permanent. His wax model of a giant hare, inspired by Aesop’s fable of The Tortoise and the Hare, includes the small figure of a tortoise in its eye. This is intended to be a reflection of the tortoise winning the race, caught in the eye of the hare. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
Many of the sculptures capture tales and memories from Stephen’s youth, as well as his daughter’s childhood stories. “I’m bringing my daughter into it, because it’s her childhood now. My childhood is not my focal point anymore – the world is hers now,” he says.
Stephen describes his work as a tactile escape from reality. “Sculpture is an escape for me, certainly,” he says. “I immerse myself in it, and I find folks do the same.”
“When you look at Stephen’s work, you see and feel the fundamental nature, the essence of the subject,” says Anneke Regout, an owner of several of Stephen’s bronzes. “You want to pick it up with both your hands, turn it and look at it from all angles. It is alive, and honest. His power lies in the observation and investigation of nature.”
Pieces in progress
Large sculptures, like that of the hare, can take six to eight months to complete on commission, according to Stephen. The wax models often stand in the studio for some time before being cast in bronze.
Mephistopheles, the resident cat at the Stephen Rautenbach Studio Gallery, contemplates one of Stephen Rautenbach’s sculptures. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
“It’s great to live with pieces,” explains Stephen. “In that way, if there’s anything that bothers me about them, I can iron out the wrinkles along the way…whether it be anatomical details or how far I want to take a piece.”
Developing and displaying the wax models in the studio gallery also ensures the “right kind of exposure”, according to Stephen.
“The one thing that a lot of clients don’t get – who buy exclusively from galleries – they don’t see the actual sculpting process. So, they’re not always aware of the value of objects. [A]nd the time and the story, and being part of the story,” he says.
The building in which the studio gallery is located, dates back to 1804, according to the Stephen Rautenbach Studio Gallery website.
The wax modelling of Stephen Rautenbach’s sculptures takes place at the Stephen Rautenbach Studio Gallery. The back room of the studio gallery serves as his primary work space, in which he tends to develop several models simultaneously. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
“It was initially part of the [Stellenbosch] museum. It really is a beautiful, historic building,” says Stephen. “That’s why I used antiques to set off the bronzes, which are more contemporary – because they have gravitas. They have history. The pieces of furniture are also over 100 years old.”
Stephen opened the gallery in 2010, after four years of teaching sculpture and drawing at Somerset College in Somerset West. His time as a teacher allowed him to develop the administrative and managerial skills he now applies to running the studio gallery.
“I loved teaching at Somerset College. It was wonderful…it was a highlight of my career,” says Stephen. “When you’re managing 16 different kids and their projects at the same time, you learn to project manage, you learn to give objective criticism, and you learn to inspire spontaneity.”
The wax models that Stephen Rautenbach creates often stand in his studio gallery for some time before being cast in bronze. This allows Stephen the opportunity to reflect on the pieces and make any alterations he sees fit. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
Casting in bronze
The decision to finish a work in bronze is not one that Stephen takes lightly. “Unless a work is finished in bronze, it’s not permanent. I find it a very large responsibility. It’s quite something to cast a thing in bronze – it’s a commitment,” he says.
There are a few bronze foundries in Somerset West that Stephen relies on to cast his sculptures. The long-standing relationship that he has with these foundries means that they are familiar with his style and expectations.
The pieces of furniture on which Stephen Rautenbach displays his bronze sculptures at the Stephen Rautenbach Studio Gallery are antiques. Stephen explains that he values things that are able to stand the test of time. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
“There’s a lot of knowledge that comes into patina, and what the potential is for product development within bronze as a production line,” says Stephen. “I try to keep things as tight as possible on quality, and on the product-development side of it.”
“It’s quite something to cast a thing in bronze – it’s a commitment.”
Stephen’s own experience of working in a bronze foundry equipped him with the knowledge to ensure consistent quality within the casting process.
“Just outside Stellenbosch, about 20 years ago now, I spent two years welding in a bronze foundry. [I] learnt about finishing products, and the sizes of editions,” he says. “Now, if the foundry struggles to do textures, I can literally climb in and say, ‘This is how you do it. This is how you get it to this quality.’”
Much of Stephen’s work is developed for an overseas market, while he relies largely on word-of-mouth referrals for local business. He usually develops between 15 and 20 new works in a year.
One of Stephen Rautenbach’s newer pieces, a bronze whippet, is intended to be a representation of the wild hunt. Domestic animals, such as cats and dogs, hold symbolic value in Stephen’s work, as they are integral to many human cultures. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
When creating a commissioned sculpture, Stephen works very closely with the client. “There’s a constant rapport that one develops…a personal rapport with the client, which is wonderful.”
The completed sculptures evoke varied responses in people, according to Stephen. The symbols that Stephen captures in his work can be interpreted differently depending on the culture of the viewer.
“Fundamentally, [my work] should evoke curiosity,” says Stephen. “Every piece sets a stage for its story…each piece is a story in itself.”
A large bronze sculpture of an octopus stands outside the Stephen Rautenbach Studio Gallery, which is located on Church Street in Stellenbosch. “I get lots of people who are startled by the octopus,” says Stephen Rautenbach. “If it gives them enough of a response to actually walk in the door, then there’s a whole new world to discover in the love of objects.” PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp