Ewald Rentz. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Beardmore, Ontario. Active 1970’s to 1990’s.
Ewald Rentz was born in the U.S. and grew up in Manitoba; eventually moving to northern Ontario. He became a sculptor when he retired in the 1970’s. He worked with ‘as found’ shapes of tree branches and roots; shaping them with home made wood fillers, knives and chisels. His work was always colored and usually signed; always after he became well known in the 1980’s. Ewald Rentz was inspired by the human condition; making carvings that were often humorous and always tongue in cheek.
“He has talked frequently of his ability to find interesting forms “in” the objects he picks up, bringing them to expression by small modifications of carving, painting or building-up with plastic wood. He thus has been able to make a turkey for remarkably little modification of the fugus-form from which it is derived.”
Ref: From the Heart: Folk Art in Canada, Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, c1983.
Some examples are shown here.
Ewald Rentz. Carving of a bear with his Lunch:
Ewald Rentz. A Bear with his Lunch Pail.
Ewald Rentz. The Wedding:
Ewald Rentz. The Wedding.
Ewald Rentz. Winnipeg Bound. His textured and carved wood fillers can be seen here:
Ewald Rentz. Beardmore, Ontario.
