Over the span of a 35 year career as an artist, Dr. Eric Baret has developed a stunning collection of some 40 genuine bronze statues that is completely unique in the world of art. The goal of the collection is a challenge to show that any individual who elevates his thoughts to serve the common good, as opposed to serving his own self-interests, depending on the context within which he lives, can become either a hero or a saint. 

Artists, because of their unusual natural refined sensitivity, see events in life in a different light than others.  Their art revolves about their ability to express this difference through their medium to help communicate their unique perceptions.  Writers do this through their words, and painters communicate through the canvas. In the case of Dr. Baret, he has chosen the difficult medium of bronze, and his ability and talent are recognised immediately as he communicates his impressions of those things which we cannot normally see in a way that becomes quickly understood.

This collection started as a meditative research into what defines heroism.  From a deep interest in military history, Dr. Baret sought first to uncover and then to communicate the meanings of courage, loyalty, unshakable will and full commitment to an ideal.  Starting from this interest, each sculpture portrays a different quality that goes into the makeup of heroism, much like the characters in a novel reveal the mysteries of the central theme.

But the more he explored these qualities, Dr. Baret came to realise that they are possessed not just by heroes but also by "saints", those selfless personages who have made a difference in the world because of their strong faith and beliefs.  He found that the ommon thread, the thing the heroes and saints both share, is that they all make the choice to place their self-interests behind what they are trying to achieve.  This is in many ways a unique observation.

Just as Shakespeare was able to bring out the essence of human emotion through the written word, Dr. Baret displays in these collections his unique ability to capture not only the drama of the situation but the emotions and even seemingly the thoughts of his subjects in the most timeless medium of bronze.