Abstract Bronze Figure – Sanford Decker

This abstracted bronze figure, dated 1968, is a strong example of Sanford “Sandy” Decker’s modernist sculptural work. The standing figure is elongated and asymmetrical, built around a clear sense of movement, balance, and raw energy.

The surface carries a rich chocolate-brown patina that has developed beautifully over time. Bronze highlights emerge along the raised contours and edges, adding depth and warmth to the composition. The integrated bronze base is a deliberate part of the design. It grounds the vertical figure and reinforces its upward presence. Decker’s confident handling of mass and negative space reflects the sculptural language of mid-century abstraction. The piece bridges recognizable human form and pure expression. The sculpture is signed “Decker” and dated “68” on the base, confirming its period authenticity.

Sanford Decker is a Los Angeles-based sculptor and founder of Decker Studios, a fine arts foundry and atelier in North Hollywood, California. He trained at the Detroit Sculpture Foundry, where he worked alongside international sculptors on monumental public art projects. In 1968 he was selected for the federally supported arts collective The Common Ground of the Arts. That same year he built his own foundry in Detroit, casting his own commissions and mounting his first European exhibition in London in 1969. In the early 1970s he relocated to Southern California, establishing a new foundry, gallery, and studio in the Santa Monica Mountains. His work expanded into organically inspired series including the Earth Shields and Earth Totems. Now in his sixth decade as an artist, Decker continues to consult for museums and foundries while exploring the relationship between the natural world and physical form.