In this interview, André and Bobbie Harvey discuss the training, experiences, and travels that led them to the art world, the sculpture business they built together beginning in the 1970s, and the process of bringing a piece of art into the world, from conception to execution to exhibition to sale. They also reflect on the cultural and historical conditions that influenced their decision to pursue careers in art, and the personal and mutual satisfactions of following artistic passion and cultivating community connections.
In session 2, the Harveys reflect more on their educational and parental influences, tell the story of how they met, and discuss the cultural context of the 1960s and the Vietnam War as important influences on their decision to travel to Europe and attempt to create a less conventional life for themselves. They also talk about how they have secured access to the animals and other natural forms that have been the focus of much of André's work. Bobbie's work at New Bolton Center was crucial in getting André access to some of the large farm animals he sculpted. The pair also pursued connections to biologists around the country and remote places around the world in order to witness the hatching of sea turtles or see a monk seal close up. They also discuss how computing and the internet have changed the craft and business of sculpture, from new processes like rapid prototyping to the move toward putting photographs of the work on the web, which was not without problems—the pair discuss the difficulties they have had with knockoffs coming out of foundries in Asia. André discusses his collaboration with goldsmith Donald Pywell starting in 1989–1990 to create jewelry based on his designs, and the differences between working with large forms in bronze and much smaller forms in gold.
William André Harvey (1941) is an American sculptor and artist primarily known for his finely detailed realistic bronze sculpture, in particular, animals. He also works in stone, casts sculptural jewelry in gold, paints watercolors, takes photographs, and creates collages. His wife and business partner, Roberta R. (Bobbie) Harvey, manages the Harveys' sculpture gallery and art business, maintaining client lists and provenance records, managing sales and exhibition loans, and promoting André's work.
William André Harvey was born in 1941 in Hollywood, FL, and raised in Pocopson, PA. He attended Tower Hill School (Wilmington, DE), the Sanford School (Hockessin, DE), and graduated from the University of Virginia with an English degree in 1963. He taught English at the Sanford and Tatnall Schools in Delaware before traveling and entering the art world.
Roberta R. Harvey (née Roberta April Rush) was born in New York City in 1941, and raised in Red Bank, NJ. The daughter of a pathologist and a nurse, she attended the Sanford School (Hockessin, DE) and graduated from Centenary College for Women (now Centenary University) in 1961. Prior to her involvement in the business of André’s art, she worked in research for the University of Pennsylvania at New Bolton Center.
The Harveys met at the Sanford School in Hockessin, DE, where they both were students. They were married in 1964 and moved to New York City, where André began a job at Scholastic magazine and Bobbie worked in the Strang Cancer Clinic. Wishing to pursue a different lifestyle, the couple left for Europe in 1969 and traveled through Scotland, England, France, Spain, and Morocco. In France, André discovered his passion for sculpture and decided to devote his life to art. Upon their return to the United States in 1970, they set to work establishing what would become a lifelong artistic partnership.
André apprenticed to Charles Parks, and Bobbie managed the business of art—photography, advertising, display and client sales. After a few early successes, André's work began to garner recognition locally and nationally. The couple have maintained a studio gallery at Breck's Mill in Greenville, DE, for many decades. Today, Harvey's work is in numerous public and private collections, and has been a part of exhibitions around the world.
