Sculptures of Native American scenes made out of paper by Allen and Patty Eckman
These stunningly detailed sculptures may only be made from paper - but they are being snapped up by art fans for tens of thousands of pounds. The intricate creations depict Native American scenes and took up to 11 months to make using a specially formulated paper
Husband and wife team Allen and Patty Eckman put paper pulp into clay moulds and pressurise it to remove the water
The hard, lightweight pieces are then removed and the couple painstakingly add detailed finishings with a wide range of tools
They have been making the creations since 1987 at their home studio, in South Dakota, America, and have racked up a whopping £3 million selling the works of art
The pieces depict traditional scenes from Native American history of Cherokees hunting and dancing
The most expensive piece is called Prairie Edge Powwow which sold for £47,000
01.jpgThese stunningly detailed sculptures may only be made from paper - but they are being snapped up by art fans for tens of thousands of pounds. The intricate creations depict Native American scenes and took up to 11 months to make using a specially formulated paper
Husband and wife team Allen and Patty Eckman put paper pulp into clay moulds and pressurise it to remove the water
The hard, lightweight pieces are then removed and the couple painstakingly add detailed finishings with a wide range of tools
They have been making the creations since 1987 at their home studio, in South Dakota, America, and have racked up a whopping £3 million selling the works of art
The pieces depict traditional scenes from Native American history of Cherokees hunting and dancing
The most expensive piece is called Prairie Edge Powwow which sold for £47,000
Allen said: "We create Indians partly because my great, great grandmother was a Cherokee and my family on both sides admire the native Americans...
...I work on the men and animals and Patty does the women and children" explains Allen
"I enjoy most doing the detail. The paper really lends itself to unlimited detail. I'm really interested in the Indians' material, physical and spiritual culture and that whole period of our nation's history I find fascinating. From the western expansion, through the Civil War and beyond is of great interest to me."
Allen explained their technique: "It should not be confused with papier mache. The two mediums are completely different. I call what we do 'cast paper sculpture'"
..."Some of them we create are lifesize and some we scale down to 1/6 lifesize"
