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Bob Fowler's Legacy: Zoos to Pendants

October 20, 2021

An actress by profession, Diane (Di) Fowler appreciates the fine arts. Today she discusses with Artifcts the legacy of her late husband, celebrated artist and master sculptor Bob Fowler, whose career as a sculptor launched in 1963 and continued until his death in 2010. His works span form—metal sculptures, jewelry, and mixed media—and continents, from private commissions to installations and shows at the National Gallery in Washington D.C., Fabien Galleries in Paris, France, Museum of Art in Trieste, Italy, and the Woburn Abbey, England. Keep reading to learn more about the Artifcts of his work and Di's efforts to preserve his legacy and reissue some of his individual sterling silver jewelry pieces.

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Since the passing of Bob Fowler over a decade ago, his widow Diane (Di) Fowler has sought to ensure his legacy lives on beyond his exhibited works, and as it turns out, she has the means to do so: the original molds he used to produce his sterling silver jewelry series. (And a few etchings and paintings tucked away biding time for a future reveal.)

Di and I met one afternoon at the EmilyAnn Theatre and Gardens in Wimberley, Texas, where she volunteers on the grounds and helps young actors with their art, having spent years on community stages herself. Di has a love for the Wimberley community that leads her out day after day to contribute her passions and experience. But today we met to talk about her late husband Bob Fowler.

Di brought out a binder for me that contained only a select few of Bob's commissions. Paging through, she was jubilant in her descriptions of the works, talking animatedly about his design of two larger than life metal works for the Houston Zoo. You may have seen them if you’ve visited. The full-size African elephant welcomes visitors at the Zoo’s front entrance. The second piece is a gorilla, standing tall at the entrance to the Gorilla House.

These grand scale sculptures were Bob’s passion, pushing boundaries to capture the energy of the subject while also bringing his academic background to play in his rigorous research to create the original concepts. This same research shines in the factual, impassioned, and sometimes humorous descriptions behind each of his jewelry pieces.

Bob Fowler’s Smaller Scale Side – Sterling Silver Pendants

We set the binder aside as Di brought out a display case with 100s of sterling silver- and gold-plated jewelry pendants ranging from one inch to nearly three inches in size. Bob began designing these pieces in the early 1990s, each capturing the animated likeness of endangered and protected animal species from around the world. Magically, the miniatures somehow convey the same energy as seen in Bob’s large steel sculptures.

Created first in wax before being cast in molds, the intricacy of each piece and the personality captured shows Bob’s mastery of the wax art. Pairing the wax design method with Bob’s methodical research, each species carries with it a short description, a few of which seem prophetic.

For example, of the Costa Rican Climber (pictured below), Bob’s research spoke about the symbiosis of its survival with the state of world environmental affairs, quoting an unnamed scientist, “When jungles of Central and South America disappear and virus carrying insects have to find new breeding grounds, civilization will be exposed to exotic animal viruses that will make AIDS look like the common cold.”

These charms may not be the best known of Bob Fowler’s works, but they remind us of the care we all need to take to protect our world’s ecosystems while also sending his legacy onward through us all. Di told me she has begun seeking out a metals artist to pick up Bob’s work and bring the pendants to a new global audience. Select and view any of these pieces for a quick-witted education into the world of endangered species from the voice of Bob Fowler.

Bob is no longer with us to produce his art. My hope is that his jewelry will continue to be a tribute to his legacy. — Di Fowler

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If you’re interested in learning more about Bob Fowler’s work or in purchasing a piece, you may contact Diane Fowler directly at dihrufowler@gmail.com. Some of Bob’s other works are also currently available for purchase through 1stDibs.

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