Our second artist in “The Art Of” series is Miniaturist and Sculptor, Robert Olszewski. Over the past decade, Robert has created miniature replicas of popular Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort icons, attractions and buildings including the Main Street, U.S.A. Collection, as we well as other figural pieces which include Gallery of Light scenes, Heirloom boxes and the ever-popular Pokitpal series.
Michelle: You’re very well known for your ability to create miniature masterpieces, what influences or inspirations do you draw on both Disney and non-Disney to create these amazing pieces? And do you have a personal favorite?
Olszewski: The influences and inspirations I draw upon for my work today began in the high school and college art classes. After graduation, I taught junior high art for 11 years. During my teaching career, I painted every evening, plus on weekends and was very productive during summer breaks. My view of art was solidly planted in painting, until in 1977 I carved a small figurine for my daughter’s dollhouse. This one figure changed everything. I had painted on canvas for 15 years and this tiny sculpture, at 1 inch tall, began my career as a sculptor. In 1979, I came under an exclusive contract with Goebel Porzellanfrabrik as a Master Sculptor, specializing in the art of miniature. While under contract and traveling worldwide to attend shows, I made it a point to take the time to visit art museums. Included here is a partial list of the museums I have visited – and many of them more than once:
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Museum Name
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Museum Location
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Laguna Beach Art Museum
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Laguna Beach
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CA
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Carol and Barry Kaye Museum of Miniature
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Los Angeles
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CA
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HammerMuseum
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Los Angeles
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CA
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Los Angeles County Museumof Art
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Los Angeles
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CA
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Los AngelesNatural History Museum
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Los Angeles
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CA
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J. Paul Getty Museum
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Malibu
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CA
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NewportHarbor Art Museum
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Newport Beach
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CA
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Carnegie Art
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Oxnard
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CA
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Norton Simon
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Pasadena
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CA
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San Diego Museumof Art
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San Diego
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CA
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De Young Museum
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San Francisco
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CA
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HuntingtonLibrary Art Gallery& Gardens
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San Marino
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CA
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Santa Barbara Natural History
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Santa Barbara
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CA
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VenturaCounty Museumof History and Art
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Ventura
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CA
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DenverArt Museum
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Denver
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CO
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Yale Centerfor British Art
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New Haven
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CT
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Smithsonian
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Washington
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DC
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High Museum of Art
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Atlanta
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GA
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DavenportMuseumof Art
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Davenport
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IA
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Art Institute of Chicago
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Chicago
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IL
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Norman Rockwell Archives at Curtis Publishing
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Indianapolis
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IN
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Nelson-Atkins Museum of Fine Art
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Kansas City
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KS
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Boston Museum of Fine Art
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Boston
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MA
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Harvard Art Museum
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Cambridge
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MA
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New BedfordWhaling Museum
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New Bedford
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MA
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Lewis and Clark Museum
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St. Louis
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MO
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MiniatureMuseum of Greater St. Louis
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St. Louis
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MO
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Albright Knox Gallery
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Buffalo
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NY
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CorningMuseumof Glass
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Corning
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NY
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American Museumof Natural History
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New York
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NY
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GuggenheimMuseum
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New York
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NY
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Metropolitan Museumof Art
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New York
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NY
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StrongNational Museumof Play
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Rochester
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NY
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ColumbusMuseumof Art
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Columbus
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OH
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The Lithofane Museum
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Toledo
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OH
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NationalCowboy Art Museum
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Oklahoma City
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OK
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WestmorelandCounty Museumof Art
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Greensburg
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PA
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IndianaUniversityof Art Museum
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Indiana
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PA
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PennsylvaniaAcademyof the Fine Arts
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Philadelphia
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PA
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CarnegieMuseumof Art
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Pittsburgh
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PA
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DallasMuseumof Art
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Dallas
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TX
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SeattleArt Museum
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Seattle
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WA
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GardinerMuseumof Ceramic Art
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Toronto
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Canada
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RoyalOntario Museum
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Toronto
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Canada
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ShanghaiMuseum
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Shanghai
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China
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Victoriaand Albert Museum
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London
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England
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BaccaratCrystal Museum
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Paris
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France
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Louvre
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Paris
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France
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KrippenArt Museum
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Frankfurt
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Germany
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GermanNational Museum
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Nuremburg
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Germany
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Van GoghMuseum
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Amsterdam
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Netherlands
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The museum visits, combined with my deep interest in painting and sculpture broadened how I looked at all art. So, today, when I begin a new project, I reflect back on the great number of masterpieces I have seen. The influences I find in the Disney work have changed over time. My first Disney commission was in 1987 for the 50th Anniversary of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was still early in my sculpting experience and I struggled to define the faces at under ¼” in size.
Michelle: Can you give us a little insight as to what our guests can expect to see in the coming months and share some details on the process and steps it takes to create things in this scale?
Olszewski: This is hard to answer as I am working on the Disneyland Resort Main Street, U.S.A. collection and attraction sculptures, the Walt Disney World Resort Main Street, U.S.A. collection, PokitPals, Heirloom Boxes and Gallery of Light. The truth is…that when I work on projects, of which there are many, the project in my hand is the only and most important project in the world. The work we do here at the studios is not linear – it doesn’t follow a straight line. However, here is the framework I work in for every project, from PokitPals to the Main Street, U.S.A. buildings & attractions:
Research, sketch, gather input, concept approval, build paper model – yes all projects are built in paper first, sculpted in clay, then submitted for approval, we produce a final sample – coloration, lighting, etc., then submit the final sample for approval, manufacture it, and then launch and market the designs to the collectors.
At all of the above steps, I focus on the feeling of the piece. Details in color or shape should be left out, if they do not support the feeling. As far as what designs are coming, you and the collectors will have to wait and see. I am at Disneyland, launching new designs 4 times a year and at Disney World, at least 2 times a year. Stay tuned for more announcements..