Gotscha and materials

For his creations Gotscha uses means and materials of natural origin. He has an elaborate knowledge of classical materials and his critical judgment on the choice of material plays an important part in the achievement of the high quality of his products. With refined taste he combines different metals, but he also combines metals with other materials like wood, stone and leather. Jan Piet Puype, curator of the Royal Dutch Army and Arms Museum in Delft, most highly prizes Gotscha’s knowledge and his ways of decoration and the use of material in the making of art objects, and his general knowledge of the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods.

SHEET METAL: from Hoogovens, usually 0.5-5 mm thick. In creations the sheets are worked with the force of different types of hammers, cold as well as hot, highly finished. This material is beautifully forged in the suit of armour of Prince Maurits by order from the Dutch Army Museum in Delft.

WROUGHT IRON: First knowledge in 1988 when assisting in Georgia the master of the art of smith’s work, Themur Sulchanischvili, with the forging of an authentic gate. Wrought iron is used in the creation of free and applied art works.

STEEL: has a higher concentration of carbon, used for knives, the blades of swords and daggers. If necessary Gotscha orders halffabrikaat from small specialized firms. Is formed warm with original forging technique. Blades are hardened and receive a high quality finish. Gotscha has experience with steel from 1986.

STEEL THREAD: Gotscha uses steel thread in different thicknesses for the creation of mail coats and suits of armour, exclusively by order. There has always been much interest in Gotscha’s armours, just recently for a model mail coat with ‘closed rings’ from the Royal Armories, Leeds, England.

STAINLESS STEEL: In the year 1997 Gotscha made two chalices by order from the Protestant Community of Den Bosch. The chalices were made from one piece of sheet metal that was forged into the right shape. Decorated on the outside and gilded on the inside. The material combines beautifully with the blued iron, silver, copper and brass.

COLORINGS OF STEEL: In the last phase of the completion of a creation Gotscha uses fire to colour the surfaces. This is called ‘bluing with fire’. He discovered this method ‘by accident’. The result is a very special tint which makes an unforgettable impression. Gotscha also uses methods of chemical ‘browning’ and ‘blackening’.

GOLD: creations exclusively by order, jewellery in gold from 1989. In 1988 armour sculptures with electrolytically gilded parts were presented for the Dutch Army Museum and the Collection Visser, Wassenaar. Knowledge of ‘fire gilding’ and gold leaf.

SILVER: first quality, experience from 1997. Most important order executed together with Jan van Nouhuys from Studio 925 in Schoonhoven, for the Archbishopric of the Matthew Synod, Athens, in 1999. In 2000 Gotscha presents a sculpture as a gift with silver and goldsmith Goudji in Paris.

COPPER: reddish brown metal. Used in creations with original forging methods.

BRASS: alloy of copper and zinc, yellow copper. Uses this material mostly for decoration, but also makes objects completely from this material. By order of the Orthodox Parish of St. Nektarios in Eindhoven a liturgical sacral artwork was presented.

BRONZE: alloy of copper and tin. Used for the creation of sculptures and for decoration of iron objects.

ZINC: a bluish white metal. Used for the creation of sculptural works and also as an aid for modelling and in maquettes.

TIN: for different creations.

WOOD: several kinds of rare wood of high quality, like for example French walnut, are used in creations.

LEATHER: uses different kinds of high quality in several thicknesses and colours and uses this in creations, also as lining for armour.

TEXTILES: uses different textiles of high quality in creations, but also as an aid in presentation.

PLASTER: used in the process of creation of pieces and as an aid in the making of models and Marquette's.

IVORY: beautifully used in earlier work. Used to be part of the decoration of creations in the area of suits of armour and swords. Also used in exclusive jewellery.

EBONY: in 1989 at Disain Fund and Studio Tsereteli in Tbilisi (Georgia), presented suits of armour and swords decorated with ebony.

SIMI-PRECIOUS STONES: encased in various objects in the area of armoury and swords, but also actively used for the creation of sculptures and exclusive jewellery.

GLASS: used in several works in combination with metal. Different colors of glass combine beautifully with steel, brass and silver.

MARBLE: used for independent creation. Actively used for the permanent placing of the object.

NATURAL STONE: used for creations and also for the placing of art works. Also means of the creation of decorative backgrounds.

GRANITE: beautiful material, forms one whole with metal. Used as means for the placing of art objects.