Artist Bijan Bronze & Stone Authenticated Sculpture No. S-237 Titled "Farmers Daughter" 14" H x 6" W x 5.5" D

Bijan J. Bijan (1936-2016) was a major force in the mid-century metal art movement and considered by many to be The Father of Metal Sculpture.In their mid twentieth century sales brochures, American Express referred to him as "The pioneer of metal sculpture" Sadly, Bijan passed away October 4, 2016. Bijan has been largely unappreciated for years, perhaps this is due to the lack of information available about this genius. Even with the lack of information, Bijan's collectors love his works and their ranks are growing.  After hours of interviewing Bijan by Groovywares and biographer Linda Stoll we have a glimpse into the life of a man, few of us knew anything about. This biography opens up a wealth of new information about this great artist. This first article was written in 1969. It reveals some wonderful information about Bijan. Indeed, as collectible as his "department store" pieces are becoming today, his original works should skyrocket in value.  When Bijan came to the United States, from Iran, 1959, he knew only a little English and had virtually no money. Bijan was a handsome 22 year old Persian. Bijan started by renting a little old lady's garage and creating metal sculptures. He sold them to private collectors: Frank Sinatra, Carol Burnett and Joey Bishop are some others, as well as public buildings. Someone suggested to him that there might be a market for his works with the general public. He rented a little bigger garage and started turning his works out in quantity. Local department stores gobbled them up. He decorates some of his works with glass marbles (with a technique he is now in the process of patenting) To keep his sculptures safe in transit, he packed them in popcorn, in the sixties. It is his artistic eye and technical skill - he uses new methods of working with metal - that set his sculptures apart. The ones he sold in stores, in the sixties and the seventies, ranged, in price, from $25 (for a metal sculpture flower) to $950.00 (for a glass top sculpture table.). However, an original Bijan for your home or your office building, the sky was the limit. Note that his low priced art of $22 in 1969 would cost $110 dollars in 2009 and $950 in 1969 would cost $4,545.00, I dare not speculate on how much "the sky's the limit" in 1969 $$ would be today. Recently one of his carved crystal sculptures, The Illusion, sold for $35000. Groovywares owns several of Bijan's rare etchings on metal as sculptures. On one etching is a sticker entitled - Biography. The sticker goes on to read, in part: "The credit of pioneering the field of metal sculpture has rightfully been given to Bijan. His massive architectural sculptures, murals, fountains, and paintings, his collection of bronzes, have made their homes on six continents. Bijan, who is so well known for his three dimensional sculpture in bronze, copper, and brass, who expresses his art form so superbly by using the natural richness of metal, his favorite medium, was also applied to his distinct style to Etched Engravings on metal. Everyone is a signed and numbered Limited Edition with a distinct character of its own. Many have already joined the Bijan sculptures in collections of distinguished art connoisseurs."

After hours of interviewing Bijan, Linda Stoll, has given us an excellent biography and a glimpse into the life of a man, few of us knew anything about. This biography opens up a wealth of new information about this great artist.

Biography (By Groovywares and Linda Stoll)