Thai Varick "Bull" Heavy Gauge Copper Wire Sculpture

This is an Original Wire Sculpture by Thai Varick titled "Bull"

This sculpture is made from Copper Wire. This piece measures 12" high, 18" long, and 6" deep.

Thai Varick lived and worked on the streets of New York City, selling his wire creations. This sculpture measures 12" hgh, 18" long, and 6" deep. The sculpture's single piece of wire, which begins at the back hoof, ends in a small heart at the center of the bull's chest.

Please click here to visit a New York Times article about Thai Varick from 2000.

Please click here to visit a Daily News article about Thai Varick from 2001.

Thai Varick is the nickname for Louis Gladding Varick V. In 2000, Thai was 59, and had been homeless for ten years. He lived in various men's shelters around New York City, and sold his wire creations on the streets to passersby and tourists. He has slept on the streets, in subway cars, and various other places, including staying at the home of his sister on occasion. He was unusual among the homeless in that he is an incredibly talented sculptor. These metal sculptures that he created, such as the one listed here, are all that kept him surviving.

He purchased the wire for his sculptures in hardware stores, and he sold his pieces on the streets, in galleries, and at art fairs. He also sold some of the pieces he made at a local bar and grill on 79th Street. His artwork is popular among collectors of American Folk Art, and he has been mentioned in several folk art encyclopedias.

Mr. Varick was a New Yorker all of his life. He spent his early years in Queens and Brooklyn, growing up first in a public housing project, and later in a home in Brooklyn. His father was a police officer, and his mother was the owner of a hat store. Later, he married and had a child, whom he supported doing all sorts of odd jobs around New York Cty. His life began to take a turn for the worse when he inadvertently assisted in a bank robbery as the getaway driver, for which he was incarcerated for five years. It was during this time in prison that he discovered his talent. While in prison, he created plaques for the guards that the warden sold for him, and gave him the proceeds after he was released.

Years later, he became involved with a woman in New York, and opened several art galleries while creating African masks and other woodworks, as well as teaching classes to others. He was also at this time employed as an ironworked, from which he contracted lead poisoning. He was later hospitalized for this illness. It was some time after his girlfriend died of pneumonia that he became homeless. His many friends in New York, as well as his family, help him when they can, and he dreamed one day of being able to find an apartment and open up new galleries.

Unfortunately, around the time of the articles mentioned above, Thai Varick passed away. He was an incredible sculptor, able to create beautiful creatures from simply a piece of wire.

Please click here to lauch a short video of this item, so that you may appreciate its three dimensional form.

This piece will be packaged and shipped to you insured by the carrier of our choice. The charge to have this piece carefully packed and shipped is $30.00.

*This item is listed at $1,987.00*