Art Deco Style Female Figure / Sculptures by Austin-Brooklyn, New York / Signed "Fisher" Circa 1988

I've had this for a few months purchased from the SA store and just got around to taking the pictures. A bit difficult due to it's size (29") and being all black. It's fairly contemporary from the late 80's but has that 20-30's "deco" look. It's been damaged at it's thinnest point on the legs but due to a steel rod running through it, has not separated. I've been planning on repairing it eventually. I need to stabilize the crack and fill in the missing piece on the back side . It was cast in "durastone" not plaster and the black finish is hand waxed.This one is designed by David Fisher and is signed on the base. Should turn out well once I put my mind to it. I'm surprised at the prices I'm seeing on these as well. -Mike-

Austin Sculpture History:
"Austin was founded in 1952 in Brooklyn, N.Y., as a museum reproduction company featuring selections from great art collections of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Asian, African and Contemporary sculpture. The site in Brooklyn expanded several times before the firm moved its facility to Holbrook, N.Y., in 1971. Although we have expanded the business to include the world of decorative arts, Austin still remains a family owned and operated company with manufacturing facilities in Reynosa, Mexico and Corby, England as well. "With the most extensive collection of sculpture reproductions in the world, a wide range of pedestals, and an extensive line of Garden Sculptures, Austin is the leading manufacturer of decorative, gift and home furnishing accessories.` "The statue is made of Durastone, not plaster. The casting procedure used by Austin Sculpture is: "The caster puts steel armatures, or supports, into the mold. He then mixes the DURASTONE -- a special formulation of crushed stone -- into a slurry which is then poured slowly into the mold. When filled, the caster then jostles the mold gently to let trapped air escape. The mold then sits undisturbed for over an hour before it can be demolded. The shell is removed, the rubber mold peeled off, leaving a sculpture reproduction with all the detail and texture of the original. It is then cleaned and placed in a heated chamber for up to 48 hours, which brings it to optimum hardness and readies it for its finish or patina." Austin uses "more than 70 different finishes and patinas in the Austin Sculpture Collection, numerous bronze and stone finishes as well as wood, terra-cotta and specialty multi-color finishes. Each patina is applied by hand by skilled artisans and must conform to the standards of the original. The sculpture is then waxed and buffed, its base and/or felt affixed, and its history card applied .