The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences turned to a new company to create this year’s Oscar statuettes. From 1982 to 2015 the statuettes were made by the Chicago company R.S. Owens & Company. This year that honor goes to New York’s Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry which will, according to the official announcement, return the Oscars to their “fine art roots.”
Each 2016 statuette has been hand-cast in bronze and is finished in 24 karat gold. “With the help of some 21st century technology, we’re able to honor the Oscar’s proud beginnings,” stated Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “The new statuette exemplifies impeccable craftsmanship and the enduring nature of art.”
“With this project, we’ve been entrusted with continuing a great tradition,” said Dick Polich, Polich Tallix founder and CEO. “It’s a privilege to be able to bring our art experience and technical expertise to the Oscar.”
Chris Rock is hosting the 88th Oscars set for February 28th in Hollywood. The ceremony will air live on ABC beginning with the pre-show at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
Here’s the details on the 2016 Oscar statuettes, courtesy of the Academy:
Using a cast bronze Oscar from 1929, Polich Tallix artisans have restored subtle features of George Stanley’s original sculpture, which was based on sketches by MGM art director Cedric Gibbons. The overall size of the statuette remains the same.
Polich Tallix started its Oscar-making process by creating digital scans of the 1929 statuette and a modern-era pedestal base. The digital Oscar was then 3D-printed and molded so the form could be cast in wax.
Each wax statuette is coated in a ceramic shell that is cured and fired at 1,600°F, melting the wax away and leaving an empty Oscar-shaped form. The statuettes are then cast in liquid bronze at more than 1,800°F, cooled, and sanded to a mirror polish finish.
The figure portion of each Oscar is electroplated with a permanent layer of reflective 24-karat gold by Epner Technology, a renowned high-tech specification electroplating company in Brooklyn. The statuette’s bronze base receives a smooth black patina, which is hand-buffed to a satin finish.
The time required to produce 50 statuettes in this manner is about three months.
At a height of 13.5 inches and weight of 8.5 pounds, the new Oscar retains the basic physical characteristics of its immediate predecessor, which had been made by Chicago-based R.S. Owens & Company since 1982. The Academy will continue its long relationship with R.S. Owens to service existing statuettes and create other awards for the Academy, including plaques for its annual Scientific and Technical Awards.
