Sanctuary Analysis

Sanctuary, sculpted by Mark Hopkins, is a magnificent free-standing sculpture. It is made from bronze and with patina applied to it, thus creating a lifelike sculpture with brown and grey hues. At the base of the sculpture, is a cluster of rocks. Coming up out of the rocks in a twisted tree branch that towers high with smaller branches extending out. The twisted tree branch leans to the right. An inch or so above the base, three partially attached rocks, circulate around the tree branch. Three-fourths way up the sculpture, a cave is attached to the twisted tree branch and a smaller extending branch. Only a small portion of the cave is attached, leaving most of it hanging out in the open. Poking its head out of the hanging cave is a wolf with it’s two front legs extended. The right paw
This allows the sculpture to inhabit space, on a smaller scale, just as real things do. With the rocks and the wolf, Sanctuary gives the illusion that it this scene takes place in a forest or mountain. The twisted tree branch has roots coming out of the rock, this gives the idea that the tree branch is dead, dying, or is not in a water-rich environment. The circular rock with the wolf peaking its head out shows that the wolf is looking out from a cave that is high above the ground. With brown and grey tones throughout the sculpture, Sanctuary shows the natural colors of the tree, rocks, and wolf. Since the twisted tree branch appears dead or dying, there are no leaves on the branches, and the brown and grey hues throughout, the setting of Sanctuary seems to be in winter. With the sculpture being free-standing, a 3D view is able to be seen from all sides. To make this sculpture, Mark Hopkins went through the tedious casting or lost wax process. This process allows many of the same sculptures to be made, perfected, and given natural color tones with patina applied to