Polishing

Bronze develops a natural patina over time. Sometimes there’s an awkward adolescent phase… a piece starts out shiny but gets a fingerprint which stands out… but with a little patience or more handling, the bronze develops a natural patina which melds everything together.

The freshly-polished super shiny is also very appealing… although then you’re more concerned about finger prints. Constantin Brancusi liked his sculptures to always be highly polished, and if you won one you probably have staff who can do that for you. But if you want your PEARCE BRONZE to have that Bird in Space vibe, I recommend Simichrome polish. It’s the same polish Brancusi recommends, at least that’s what they use at the gallery handling his estate. Please wear gloves and work in a well ventilated area. Apply polish to a clean cotton cloth then use another clean cloth to remove and buff. Simichrome is not available in California because of a newly banned chemical, but you can buy it on eBay and have it shipped here. Apparently is it available on Amazon in Germany though which is interesting… when I lived in Germany in the 90s, bleach was a banned substance. I had to sweet talk my way onto the American military base commissary in Berlin to buy some…