Marking a significant evolution of his artistic practice, Irish artist John Redmond presents a new collection of sculptures …
Who or what kickstarted your interest in art? Art and creative processes have always intrigued me. From a young age, I was consistently decorating, painting, making objects at our family home. When I moved to Dublin and started college, I was exposed to so much more creativity both from my fellow students, tutors, and the various galleries and museums on my doorstep.
How has your work evolved over the years? My work has always been abstract with colour playing such a significant part of what I do. I have more confidence now, having had the time to focus solely on my art practice the past few years.
How and where do you work? I’m very fortunate to have a great studio space at my home I built many years ago. I’m pretty disciplined in terms of the time spent in the studio – I’m in there everyday if I’m not traveling. I tend to work mainly from memory as I have great recall. Sometimes I sketch, but not always.
Your latest collection shows a different aspect to your artistic practice. What was the inspiration behind it? I was eager to bring my work into three-dimensional form; in doing so, I wanted to add sculptures that were substantial in scale. Use of colour and mixed materials were also very important. I wanted them to feel both elegant and timeless, pieces that could have been from another era, but that would fit seamlessly into today’s spaces.
Tell us about the special process in the different forms and their production: It’s been a real learning curve for me as this is the first time that I’ve worked on sculpture. Finding the right foundry to take my forms and cast them in the materials I wanted has been a process, but I found that in Greece. I really wanted to mix the mediums using bronze, resin and marble, with each form hand-moulded and cast. I’ve spent quite some time going over and back to Athens working on this project; the Greeks have such a rich history in making sculpture.
Tell us about some of the pieces: Each piece feels very different to me, yet they all convey a sense of balance that has always come through in my work on canvas. My first design was “Flow” which is quite an organic shape. I find it very tactile with its curved smooth form and the colour is quite striking, balancing on the polished bronze ball and solid marble base. I hope it conveys a sense of movement from its rolling shape, hence its name.
What do you enjoy most about what you do? The creative freedom that I have with my art practice. Shaping my creative ideas onto the canvas or now into new forms with sculpture. I’m always looking forward, seeing how I can create something new.
Any advice for budding artists? Believe in yourself and stay with it, it takes time!
Need to know: “Beyond Form” by John Redmond opens at Gormleys Gallery in Dublin 2 on May 22 until June 4.
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