Paul Wegner

Known for his "fragmented" sculpting style, Paul Wegner is nationally acclaimed as the originator of this unique and eye-catching form. His interest began when he read a book called Heads and Tails, about Rodin protege Malvina Hoffman. He looked at the pictures of her sculpture parts and saw the clay heads on one shelf and the hands on the shelf below. It led to a new thought; what if those parts could remain separate, yet be connected somehow - perhaps by sculptured hair, or a dress, or a drape? Using molds that he happened to have in his studio, he began experimenting with the possibilities, laying the parts on the floor and imagining how to connect them. Wegner brought the first two examples of his fragmentation process - a sculpture of two elephants and one of a woman playing the harp - to a show to gauge the reaction. The result he says, "was like the rest of my work was invisible." He had done what every artist dreams of; he had created a style that his name would be associated with from then on. "Now people know, thats a Wegner," he explains. Wegner lives in Southern California with his family, He raises horses on a ranch, sculpts in his studio, and maintains an active involvement with the activities of his children.