Martin Eichinger (b. 1949) studied design and anatomy at Ferris State University, did post graduate work in sculpture at Michigan State University, and pursued independent studies of classical sculpture in Europe. He has won numerous awards and competitions including a Kellogg Internship and NEA grants. Eichinger opened his first studio in Lansing, Michigan in 1972. In 1985, he relocated to Portland, Oregon. Eichinger is known for several public monumental works. His most significant is a 16-foot cast bronze for Lansing, Michigan. Other recent and notable commissioned works include the Columbus Quincentennial high relief plaque for “Spain ’92,” a plaque and bust of President Ronald Reagan, and a sculpture to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Tenth Mountain Division of the United States Army. Eichinger’s bronzes are made using the lost-wax casting method. He first models his sculptures in wax, and then dips them in a ceramic slurry. The wax is melted away, leaving a hollow, ceramic, mold, from which the bronze is cast and assembled. Lastly, a patina is applied to the figure. The application of chemicals and heat creates variations in color and finish. The result is a creamy, polished surface, more like marble than bronze. Subtle washes of color, though not immediately apparent, add depth and visual interest; a pearlescent finish lends each figure’s skin a luminous sheen. Eichinger intentionally exaggerates the anatomy and musculature of his subjects, sacrificing realism for the drama of captured motion. The elegant bronzes may be reminiscent of classical themes—most notably in the celebration of the human form- but the artist resists labels like “mythological.” Even pieces such as “Gaia’s Breath,” from the Goddess Series, are intended less as a literal interpretation of myth than a study of the divine essence of creation within us. “Gaia’s Breath” portrays a female figure rising from a textured, planetary sphere. Balanced in an outstretched hand is a smaller globe, still partially attached to her breast, as though pulled directly from her heart. Leaning forward the goddess purses her lips bringing her creation to life with breath. It’s a powerful statement about the physical and emotional bond between creator and creation. “I start with a purpose in mind,” says Eichinger, “and the model is more or less after the fact.” Out flung arms, tensed legs and curved torsos emphasize the grace and fluidity of the human form in action. The figures rise seamlessly from organically textured bases that recall stone outcrops or tree trunks and add a sense of tension or conflict to the work, hinting at man’s uneasy relationship with and dependence upon nature. Martin Eichinger does not refer to himself as a figurative sculptor even though he clearly has a profound sense of human anatomy. “I am a narrative artist. The language I use is form and anatomy, but what I try to sculpt is emotion and motion.” His sculptures are evidence of a visionary who has something positive and eternal to say with his talent. The characters Martin Eichinger creates are alive in his mind and it shows in the sculptures that come from his hands. Each sculpture has a personality, a unique story to tell, a wink of humor, a hint of tragedy or the artists philosophy. Eichinger has placed many of his sculpture studies on the edge of possibility without losing their sense of grace. In particular his series of characters from an imaginary circus is magically balanced on this edge. Eichinger and his bronze circus were recently guests of Prince Rainier of Monaco at Festival International du Cirque.