The Utopian Ranch Company Goal & Mission
I have spent most of my art career in gallery and museum settings. I wanted to find a way to reach a broader audience.
The Utopian Ranch company is based on a blend of my original artworks. It takes inspiration from my bronze castings and larger installation work, combining them to create a new idea. This idea uses “Utopia” to define hopefulness, bright insightful color, free expression pregnant with possibility, and a ripeness of individual and societal growth.
It starts with a dream… Raising everyday consumable products to high art and making high art more accessible to everyday living.
My vision is using luxury candles and soaps as practical vessels to deliver components of my artwork. Breaking down art to everyday luxury consumables makes a more accessible, approachable, and affordable way to collect museum and gallery quality artwork. My central thesis in this idea challenges the way art is collected, currently unavailable to most, and allows anyone to begin an art collection. Art is presently treated as an elitist medium. The mode of expression of art should be more accessible to the greater populous. I am framing a fun way art can blend with everyday life.
Here is how it works…
A part of the whole
With each framed art, candle, candle sculpture, or other upcoming product, an original component of The Utopian Ranch artwork collection is sent as a collectable. Collect a number of the components and send them back to be arranged personally by me into an original signed artwork.
ORIGINAL PIECE
Each sculpture candle is an original piece, adding to the collectibility of the candles themselves. No molds are used, so they will only be offered in limited quantities at limited times. My bronze castings use molds for small runs of 35 or fewer, depending on the size of the sculpture. Most consist of only a couple of artist proofs and a run of three.
The original nature of a candle, treated as a one-off sculpture, adds to my idea of elevating the candle to high art and speaks to the usual mass production and temporary aspect of the utility of a candle. The element of once burned, it vanishes. The ephemeral quality of burning an original work of art makes something special happen to the experience of burning a candle.
OUT OF THE BOX
The beautiful red and white boxes that contain your order can also become original signed works of sculpture for display. Each box has the ability to be adorned with a handful of Utopian Ranch art components, creating a unique and original piece. See the examples in the website’s store section for pricing and selection.
TAKING CARE
It is important to keep the components dry as they are made of paper. Over time, they may curl and change from their flat shape, which is actually a positive development. It adds to their personality and sculptural effect, so don’t try to keep them flat.
You will also find that they often have blemishes, cuts, glue residue, wrinkles, or tape marks from being displayed or from being part of a gown or larger installation work. These qualities enhance their collectability, so don’t try to remove this evidence of use and experience. As a tip, consider keeping them in a bowl for you to enjoy until you have collected enough to send back for arrangement.
EVOLVING ART
After using your candle, remove the art piece from the jar and save it as an evolving art piece. I store these component pieces in bowls around the house, akin to sculptures or floral decorations on tables for everyone to enjoy. Once you have collected 25 or more pieces, send them back to me for signed arrangement on paper and framing. Additionally, I can offer to add larger characters for an extra charge to enhance vibrancy or narrative depth, and to introduce more dimension and scale differentiation to the final artwork.
GIVING BACK
You can also feel good about your purchase as it gives back to our community. Ten percent of net proceeds go to nonprofit organizations that benefit the community. Check in each month to see whom you are helping.