About Neil A Sedwin
Mission Statement
The conceptual artists of the 60’s & 70’s emphasized that all art has at its core an idea, or “concept”, which the artist explores through the application of his or her chosen media: for Rembrandt it was capturing the essence of his subject; the Expressionists were concerned with light; with Moore and Brancusi it was all about Form; Albers it was Color; Warhol, the mundane.
But, in order for any concept to become art it must be transformed into some kind of physical object, meaning someone has to “make” some “thing”. No concept, regardless of how wonderful that concept may be, becomes a work of art unless that transformation is made.
It is in the course of the artist’s exploration of the concept, via the physical making of an object with the purpose of representing the essence of that concept that art is created. From Stone Age figurines to the great works of today, some person, or group, had to make some “thing”. If the piece is successful it may be considered ART. This is true no matter what the art form is, be it dance, music, painting, writing, or whatever.
So, I make Art objects. Generally, it does not much matter much what the object is: It could be something practical like a bowl or a piece of furniture, or more esoteric like a figurative sketch or painting, or an abstraction. I enjoy the entire process: from the "Ah ha!" moment of conceptualization, through documentation, estimation of materials needed, and, of course, building and fabricating. Each step of the way has its own mini-drama of highs and lows, but it is the making of objects that is ultimately important. So, that is what I do. Whether what I make is great, or even passable art is not for me to say. The key issue for me is the conceptualizing and the making: it is what I do.
Conceptually, much my work is about the relativity of everything in our universe. Nothing exists in a vacuum on its own. Physicists have shown that everything – from the atoms and particles that make up people and objects, to time and space - exists only relative to everything else. Relationships are found in ideas shared in the media; the stone foundation supports the house; and the orbit of the Earth around the Sun, and the very fabric of the space-time of our universe. As individuals we experience both the physical interactions and emotional relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and, most importantly, ourselves. These relationships can be in tension or they can be calm; playful or violent. My work seeks to use interactions of form, line, space, materials, and mass to explore and reflect upon the relativity we are all a part of.
My preferred media for 3-dimensional works has been cast and welded metals, multi-media acrylic, and hand built ceramics. Clay, in particular, has always played a central role in my work and it is the foundation of my current work. I love clay: the dusty earthy smell, the way it feels in my fingers, the infinite textures and forms it can take, its wide range of colors - the soft whites of porcelain to the rich browns of stoneware. For me, it is the most sensual of all the fine art media.
Recently, however, I have begun working on larger carved wood pieces, which are "roughed out with a chainsaw and then detailed with more traditional tools such as chisels and sand paper. Examples of these can be found on my "Works in Progress".
