Daniel Blom is an extraordinarily talented sculptor who has the honour of being apart of the Member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors (London). Read on as Daniel talks to us about his work, inspiration and life.
Since when have you been an artist?
I have always been fascinated by the visual arts with sculpture in particular, and architecture. I studied art history and theory, and have been a practicing artist all my adult life.
When did you become a professional sculptor?
I was a painter previously and although I did enjoy that aspect, I decided to concentrate on sculpture, partly because of a growing fascination with the more conceptual side of art. I find the three dimensionality of sculpture the best way to express what I was after.
Living between Cape Town, London and Turkey, do you manage to sculpt wherever you are? Given that you work in life-size figures this must be difficult for you?
I do manage. Most of the sculpting work is done in Cape Town and London where I have studio space. Whilst in Turkey I tend to make more transportable “body parts” for inclusion in work done elsewhere. In Kaş, Turkey, I also concentrate on the conceptual writing part of my practice.
What is the theme running through the sculptures is your exhibition ‘The Body’s Split’?
‘The Body’s Split’ is a series of four sculptural works with text, and one drawing. The first work, sadness, is in the form of a wall-mounted installation including a pencil drawn self-portrait with an accompanying wooden route-tablet. The three figurative works include a collaborative work with my fellow sculptor and brother, Stefan Blom, called the grey, grey horse, lying mechanical but partialized on the floor, aus köplar hanging detached and forced by fractured tension, and the perfect underling curled and turned over on its back to make of it a cradle. The fifth work, the pyramidic Judaswiege, is last of the sculptural works. The drawing, Forma particular, a segmented spinal column in an inverted lunette, concludes the series. The works are characterized by longing and in the gallery, like a monastic cell, the space of instruction, control and often impetus, the works evoke the absent figure by emphasising bareness and fragmentation.
You seem to focus on the male figure – is there a reason why?
It is simply my preference to deal with my own identity. You will have also noted that the figures mostly have their eyes averted and never look at the viewer. This refers to the work being mostly inclined towards introversion. However I deeply appreciate the beauty and form of the female figure as well.
Why are there no arms?
By excluding arms and therefore limiting the expressive potential of the figure, I am forced to reach further, in order to communicate without reserve.
In the aus köplar, why is the figure hanging and what is the significance?
The implication is that the figure has progressed from a previous archaic and earthbound state, to one more advanced, enabling it to acquire an aesthetic sensitivity. In contradiction to this vertically, progressively inclined process, the figure continues to hang upside down, emphasizing it still relates to its base, or instinctive state. Essentially the work is to do with sound and language. The words, aus and köplar, are made up and refer to the Scandinavian (Afrikaans, German and Dutch) and Latin based language systems (English, French) used when constructing the accompanying text. Where specific English words are deliberately chosen for its sound qualities and unexpectedness in order to achieve tension, uncertainty, certainty, euphoria for instance, often only achieve to some degree what is needed, whereas unfamiliar sentence constructions in Scandinavian based languages forced into English, bring me closer to what I am after.
What is the motivation behind the Judaswiege? Can you explain the writing further?
The Judaswiege, or Judas Cradle, separates and divides the body into four planes relating to the various stages of psychological consciousness and development as well as physically splitting it. Dividing the body in a left and right, simply meaning means the attained ability to distinguish between left and right. Separating the body into back and front relates to instinctive behaviour and the spinal cord leading to the all-important mind.
Is the perfect underling a figure in forced submission or torment?
It is not. It is a perfect underling, therefore content in its state of choice.
What is the idea behind the installation of sadness? Is it personal to you?
Yes, it is certainly a very personal piece, which refers to the sadness I experienced when moving from Amsterdam where I lived for many years. It deals with the concepts of memory and nostalgia. I designed a Braille-like route tablet consisting of cut nails upright in a thick block of white oak. By removing the tablet from the wall, holding it in both hands then closing the eyes, the thumbs by means of the cut nails are able to trace the habitual bicycle routes taken in Amsterdam.
Why do you use recycled plastic?
It started out as a curiosity but has since developed into a signature material. I find great satisfaction in converting it into something of both deep meaning and great beauty.
How difficult is it to work with the material, in this case recycled milk bottles?
It is very time consuming, as each recycled plastic object has to be cut, melted by use of a heat gun, and then manipulated and formed by molding it with very indelicate heat resistant gloves. After the basic figure is created form the molten pellets, I then hand finish it by use of abrasive tools including hack saw blades, files, and sandpaper. Each of these processes take an extraordinary amount of time and effort, as indeed most things worth doing demand.
Where do you see yourself heading now?
Having exhibited in Lithuania, London and Cape Town recently, my ambition is to further develop these relationships. I also hope to show in mainland Europe this year. I am expecting to exhibit in Aachen, Germany during 2016, and in London again. Concerning the work itself, my focus is becoming more and more conceptually based. I enjoy the intellectual aspect of the work as well as the continued aesthetic figurative sculpting part of it.
