Artist's Process
Frances Pratt, a Copley Artist, characterizes her sculpture as: a realization of a joyful creative process inspired by the abstract beauties in nature. The three-dimensional forms suggested by plants, shells, animals and the human body develop in the mind’s eye into organic images. These flowing and rhythmic movements are expressed in sculptural forms, some sensual, some energetic, through the use of voluptuous or angular shapes, perforations and different textures.
Frances’ interest in site-specific sculpture stems from her enjoyment of interpreting and developing, in an artistic form, the goals and/or activities of a client. Frances has created monumental pieces for Connecticut College (her alma mater), Babson College, and Nynex Customer Support Center, and her sculptures have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston.
Frances works in a variety of media: steel, aluminum, fiberglass, mixed media, plaster, and wood, and the sizes of her pieces range from 6 inches to sixteen feet. The sculptures may be placed indoors or outside, and they can be wall or free-standing.
When working on commission, Frances meets with the client to show examples of her work and to determine the client’s needs and goals. She will study the proposed location of the sculpture and make an initial drawing or model. In a final presentation, the model or sketches and a budget will be discussed with the client. To cover the cost of preliminary work, Frances requests a design fee of $800 to $5,000 depending upon the complexity of the job. If the client accepts the final presentation, the design fee is credited towards the overall artist fee.
The cost of a Frances Pratt sculpture is influenced by the size, complexity of design, choice of material, and difficulty of site. Typically, the price of a floor, wall or table-top sculptures is between $400 and $10,000. An outdoor sculpture commission usually costs between $10,000 and $100,000. Payments are generally made in three or four installments between the start of the design and the completion of the sculpture.
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