Assignment #8: Postmodern & Global Art

David Altmejd

                    “Sometimes I feel like there’s brains in my hands.” –David Altmejd

David Altmejd is a Canadian sculptor born in 1974. He mentions that he is Jewish and gay and his talent gave him confidence. When Altmejd creates sculptures he believes that there is no point in creating sketches because he does not see any difference between drawing his ideas on paper and just gluing pieces together. He states that 95% of his relationship with his work is work in progress. He likes the idea of trusting the work, trusting the material, and trusting that every little step will determine the next one.

Altmejd is not interested in language instead he is interested in venting language. He believes he can do this through art because art encourages the invention of language. As a kid Altmejd was fascinated by art because he could make exist whatever he wanted in the art world.

When making a sculpture he first deals with the material then he injects his sensibility in it to give it a certain “flavor” which determines what color he will chose to paint it. He is very attracted to pastel colors like lavender, pink and mint green and to cause a balance in color he uses dirt colors. Altmejd doesn’t want his sculptures to be just illustrations, he wants to try to build an object that is complex enough and that has enough layers, references and energy to make it feel like it is alive. But by making it feel alive he is not interested in representing life instead he is interested in making objects function like living things so that they will fell like they are alive. He wants the sculpture to develop the capacity of developing its own meaning.

The Vessel

Altmejd feels that in his piece The Vessel there is a religious feel to it. The Vessel has a symmetrical shape to it and it makes a strong reference to the body.

The Swarm

This piece Altmejd considers being more like a landscape and less of a body because it is not symmetrical. The shape floating in space makes it very soft. The softness is balanced out with its aggressive potential. 

The Watchers

This sculpture is an angel figure, but not necessarily with the features of a cliché angel that has wings. Instead Altmejd incorporates ears with winged like features. Altmejd is very interested in Orifices. A body filled with orifices has the purpose of hearing sound. The idea of senses is incorporated by adding ears and hands. The use of ears suggests that the body is ultra sensitive with sound and the use of ears suggests the sense of touch or feeling.