IN CONVERSATION WITH SAM DICKIE

Samantha Dickie

 

I first met Samantha Dickie earlier this year when she approached Meade Design Group about creating a new graphic identity and website for her artwork, after taking a break to raise her young children. I was in awe of her pieces from the moment she showed them to me. They are delicate, organic, textural, sophisticated and primal all at once. I cannot wait to share her artwork and insight with my readers!

 

" I choose to work with clay because of its incredible tactility – clay is raw, visceral and versatile. It can be used as a medium in conventional as well as unconventional ways: to create textural and abstract forms and surfaces that entice a sensory experience and create an altered spatial awareness. I love the rich history of ceramics from the ancient remnants of utilitarian objects to conceptual modern installations." - Samantha Dickie, excerpt from her Artist Statement

 

Samantha has been working with her primary medium - clay - since 1996 and has developed a signature style that has become sought after by art collectors and designers alike. She has had the opportunity to exhibit her work, as well as continually educate herself in her craft throughout Western Canada. I am so excited for Samantha and her return to her beautiful artwork, please read on to find out what Samantha Dickie has in store for her fans…

 
Iván Meade - What was your first experience with Sculpture?

 

Samantha Dickie – Studying Inuit sculpture during my undergrad in the artist cooperatives in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, particularly on Baffin Island.  But the sculpture that has really struck me has been that which I have sought out over the last 15 years in catalogues and galleries across the world.  Sculptural ceramic work by Hans Coper, Peter Voulkos, Rudy Audio, and Marea Gazzard were early inspirations for working with clay in an unconventional way.  The installation work of Dale Chihuly, Ernesto Neto, Anish Kapoor, and Antony Gormley, has blown my mind with the quality of material and intention.  Interacting with their work and the space it envelops is overwhelming when considering and absorbing its scale, its detail, and its ingenuity.  I love how sculpture and installation can create such a demonstrative experience for the viewer.

 

Sculpture by Samantha Dickie 

Iván Meade - How would you describe your style?

Samantha Dickie – Contemporary ceramic sculpture and installation using multiple components to illustrate a narrative with an aesthetic that highlights the raw, visceral and tactile nature of clay.

 

Sculpture by Samantha Dickie

Iván Meade - If you could pick one word to describe your work, what would it be?

Samantha Dickie – Organic

 

Sculpture by Samantha Dickie

Iván Meade - What made you choose ceramic as your primary medium?

Samantha Dickie – It’s tactility.  I think that’s what makes every ceramic artist fall in love with the medium.  Working with clay is like playing in the dirt.  It’s grounding, and expansive; physical and intuitive.  It’s an amazing material to work with.

 

Sculpture by Samantha Dickie

Iván Meade - Why is texture such an integral component of your work?

Samantha Dickie – Imprinting texture into the work, or using textural glazes keeps that same earthy, organic quality to the finished piece that is so seductive in working with raw clay and it’s amazing malleability.

 

Sculpture by Samantha Dickie

 
Iván Meade - You have accomplished something very unique when one sees a piece of yours, it doesn’t matter if it is a single piece, an installation, they all evoke emotion.  All these pieces have been created by you.  How do you achieve this emotional resonance with your pieces? 

Samantha Dickie – Working with simple forms and organic surfaces often evokes a memory, a reminder of a place, a space, experience or feeling that people resonate with.  Perhaps it is a reflection of the process of working with clay, which as I said, can be grounding, and expansive.

 

Sculpture by Samantha Dickie

Iván Meade - What do you do to keep inviting the inspiration to come - Do you have other passions that recharge your creative juices?

Samantha Dickie – Travel is a huge source or inspiration for me. It recharges me and stokes me up to be in life, to create, and to observe.  Details of urban spaces, coastal rhythms and natural landscapes all come out in my work.   My list is long for the next places to experience. 
 

Sculpture by Samantha Dickie

Iván Meade - As a successful artist, are there any words of advice or lessons learned that you can share with working artists ready to take their art to the next level?

Samantha Dickie – Keep inspired, pay lots of attention to detail, and professionally document your work so that you can always present it well.
 

Sculpture by Samantha Dickie

 

Iván Meade - What are your thoughts about the art scene in Victoria, specifically the ceramic sculpture scene?

Samantha Dickie - I haven’t seen a lot of ceramic sculpture, although there are extraordinary internationally exhibiting ceramic artists in and around Victoria (such as Robin Hopper, Meira Matthison, Cathi Jefferson, Wayne Ngan, Gordon Hutchens, and others).  I’m always interested to see ceramic work that is unconventional, and I think that Victoria would greatly benefit from exhibiting more contemporary sculpture, of all media including ceramic, particularly as public installation.
 

Sculpture by Samantha Dickie

Iván Meade - What are you currently working on, what is the new and exciting with your work?

Samantha Dickie – I’m excited to be working on a new body of work that is just starting to unfold which will include a new installation, as well as individual sculptures, likely some of it intended to be installed outside.  And I’ll be focusing my attention this year to new glazes, textures, and photo transfer while I work in a new large reduction kiln that I’ve installed in my studio. 

 

Sculpture by Samantha Dickie 

Iván Meade - You have already gone through many transformations with your work and found great success, what would you like your legacy to be?

Samantha Dickie – To work with clay in an unconventional way as a part of an exciting direction and community in ceramics that focuses on the creation of contemporary sculpture and installation.

 

Sculpture by Samantha Dickie

 

I invite you to visit Samantha Dickie’s website at:

 

 

Ivan Meade is a local designer and principal of Meade Design Group, a multidisciplinary interior and graphic design studio in the heart of downtown Victoria –www.meadedesigngroup.com

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

In Conversation with Birgit Piskor

Birgit Piskor

 

As seen in SNAP July, 2010.

 

Birgit was introduced to me earlier this year by my dear friend, Liz Mackay of Ambiance Consulting - I actually featured one of her pieces, "Floraform", as one of my eye candies of the week back in February. Since then, I have had the opportunity to get to know Birgit better and have seen the stunning new collection that she is launching; I am excited to announce that Meade Design Group - the blog has the first interview with the artist about her new pieces, complete with photographs and inside information - Enjoy!

 

"Known for her light, sensual, undulating forms, Birgit’s unique sculptural works are most commonly purchased internationally by art collectors and high-end interior designers. Her work is constantly evolving - from large-scale abstract pieces to fine objets d’art, each of Birgit Piskor’s pieces is individually created with exceptional attention to detail; no two pieces are alike.

 

Hardworking - and surprisingly strong for her small stature, Birgit channels the industrial essence of concrete into shapes and textures that defy the inherently rigid nature of the medium.  The flowing organic concrete forms she produces are tactile expressions of transformation and visceral moments of beauty.  Each handcrafted sculpture is constructed of only the highest quality materials that are both attractive to the eye and built to withstand the passage of time." - birgitpiskor.com

 

Iván Meade - What was your first experience with concrete?

 

Birgit Piskor - I would have to say that my first experience with concrete was when I consciously became aware of it as a thing of beauty rather than just the cold, grey, industrial material that parkades and sidewalks are made of. I was in my early 20’s, excited to be in Barcelona – young and completely ignorant of many things including the genius that was Gaudi. So when I came across his work for the very first time it was mind blowing! I remember feeling completely transfixed by it. It was as if I had accidentally stumbled into some inspired Gothic fairytale. The undulating organic forms, they were so sensual, so impossible. I couldn’t believe it was concrete!

 

Rap Series # 5

Fine Sculpture by Brigit Piskor

 

Iván Meade - What made you choose concrete as your primary medium?

 

Birgit Piskor - I’m really passionate about my concrete! It appeals to me on so many different levels – it has an ancient history, it is of the earth, it is strong and enduring and, because it has no intrinsic form, concrete is also an incredibly versatile medium. By its very nature concrete embodies the transformative experience. It begins in a messy, wet, fluid state and becomes this solid, stone-like substance, hard and calm, cool to the touch. I love that!

 

Freya

Fine Sculpture by Birgit Piskor

 

Iván Meade -What inspires you trademark organic, flowing and sensuous forms?

 

Birgit Piskor - I’m very fortunate to have traveled to some amazing places and to live in an incredible part of the world surrounded by such intense natural beauty. And Nature is absolutely alive with ravishing lines and provocative curves. So seductive. Who can resist?  And in this curved universe there is constant play and creative tension – a ceaseless becoming. This transformation is often terrifying, yet beautiful and absolutely necessary to life.

I also work from a strong sense of my own body and tend to see some element of the female form in virtually everything that I observe.

 

  Flora Form – Silver Leaf

Fine Sculpture by Birgit Piskor

 

Iván Meade - Your sculptures are teeming with lavish and inviting textures. Why is texture such an integral component of your work?

 

Birgit Piskor -  I remember, years ago, feeling a little uncertain about having people touch my work. They seemed to have this compulsive need to run their hands over my sculptures. It was fascinating because I could see that some people were obviously struggling with the conventions of gallery etiquette while others were unabashedly stroking everything! It made me nervous until I realized that they were actually paying me a very high compliment that it was in fact a form of communication – a communication not only between me and the view but also between the viewer and themselves.

Texture also gives an illusion of movement, and vitality – a visceral sense that a piece is just about to take on another form.

 

Torso by Birgit Piskor

 

Iván Meade - Are there any sculpture artists whose work you admire?

 

Birgit Piskor - Absolutely! Barbara Hepworth would probably be first on my list. There is a meticulous purity and, I guess I would say, a certain concentrated stillness to her sculpture that really resonates with me. Her work is also incredibly tactile, rich with human emotion and physical sensuality. It’s so inspiring!

Isamu Noguchi is also on my list for his staggering craftsmanship, profound commitment to simplicity and the poetic suggestiveness of his forms as well as for his playfulness and the fact that he was able to bring modern sculpture into the realm of everyday life.

I also love Henry Moore’s work. 

 

Neosphere # 1 by Birgit Piskor

 

Iván Meade - How long does it take you to create a sculpture?

 

Birgit Piskor - It generally takes 2 – 6 weeks to complete a sculpture depending on the size of the piece. Now that’s not to say that I am working on a particular piece for that entire length of time but because my medium is concrete, after the initial work is done, a certain curing  period is required. It is only after this chemical reaction is complete that I can apply the final finish be it additional colour, metal leaf, various waxes and oils – whatever it takes to bring alive the beauty and texture of a given sculpture.

 

Lady in Waiting – Fine Sculpture by Birgit Piskor

 

Iván Meade - What type of concrete do you use?

 

Birgit Piskor - Over the years I have developed my own custom formula, one that affords me the most creative control and freedom while ensuring extreme strength and durability. I work to very exacting standards and my sculptures are built to last for generations. I’m also constantly on the look out for innovative new products, researching the most environmentally sensitive options. For example, I have recently begun using reinforcing fibers made of 100% recycled nylon from reclaimed carpets thereby helping to reduce energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and landfill waste.

 

Relief Sculpture by Birgit Piskor

 

Iván Meade - How are your sculptures built?

 

Birgit Piskor - Each of my sculptures is painstakingly hand built and begins with the fabrication of a steel skeleton, or armature, over which I apply successive layers of small hand mixed batches of concrete. Once the final form has emerged, the next important stage is to work the surface. Because this final stage is so crucial to the success of a piece, I will often pause at this point and spend some time reflecting on the form, intuiting my way towards what exactly it is that I am trying to communicate and how best to convey that by means of colour and texture. My process ensures that each piece is an inherently unique creation.

 

 

Birgit Piskor working in her Studio

Iván Meade - What puts the “Fine” in Birgit Piskor Fine Sculpture?

 

Birgit Piskor - You mean besides the fact that they are drop dead gorgeous??? Seriously though, I believe that one aspect that distinguishes my work are the results that I achieve by hand building each piece –a certain intimacy and honesty that arises. I feel quite strongly opposed to casting. In part my opposition is a reaction to what I find to be the distressing societal trend towards valuing lower cost over handcrafted artistry. But it’s mostly because I truly love what I do – the feel of the concrete in my hands, the physical interaction with the piece – there is a kind magic that happens. I rarely have a fixed image in my mind of the finished sculpture. I generally begin with more of a visceral impression of where I want to go. The final form gradually emerges and involves a sort of giving over, or surrender. The process becomes like a beautiful dance that constantly challenges the notion of what concrete can become.

I should also mention that each of my sculptures includes an exclusively designed signature plate as well as a signed certificate of authenticity.

 

Fine  Sculpture by Birgit Piskor

 

Iván Meade - If you could pick one word to describe your work, what would it be?

 

Birgit Piskor - Wow, that’s a tough one to answer. I suppose if I had to choose, I would say sophisticated. Or alluring… captivating…. provocative… Do I really have to choose just one?

 

Art in Situ by Birgit Piskor

Space Designed by Susan Hargraves

 

Iván Meade - As a successful artist, are there any words of advice or lessons learned that you can share with working artists ready to take their art to the next level?

 

Birgit Piskor - I love my life and where it has taken me but it is definitely not any easy path to walk. Keep the faith, have courage, and work, work, work. Then work some more because there is no substitute for the growth and magic that happens when you are in process!

 

Birgit Piskor gold leafing at her Studio

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Iván Meade - What projects are you currently working on?

 

Birgit Piskor - I’m really excited right now to be working on a new line of objets d’art, a series of small scale sculptures that will be perfect for table tops and mantels.

 

Art in Situ – Flora Form by Birgit Piskor

Meade Design Group Studio

 

Iván Meade - What future projects do you have planned?

 

Birgit Piskor – There are so many images flooding into my mind at the moment! I'm really eager to start experimenting with some of these new concepts and expect that they will form the core of an exciting new body of work.

 

I'm also currently trying to secure a solo exhibition in Mexico City early in the new year - I'm over the moon about this potential opportunity!!

 

Relief Sculpture by Birgit Piskor 

 

Iván Meade - You have already gone through many transformations with your work and found great success, what would you like your legacy to be?

 

Birgit Piskor - I was thinking the other day about my inability to have children and how my life doesn’t have that kind of continuity. Then it occurred to me that my sculptures will still be here for decades to come – they are concrete after all. The fundamentals of life, the pain and the beauty of transformation, cross international and cultural boundaries. I put so much of myself into my work, it is my hope that long after I am gone, whoever sees and touches my work will catch a glimpse of who I was and recognize some aspect of them selves in it.

 

I invite you to discover Birgit Piskor's work at her website

 

FACEBOOK

 

Ivan Meade is a local designer and principal of Meade Design Group, a multidisciplinary interior and graphic design studio in the heart of downtown Victoria – www.themeadegroup.com

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

Eye Candy of the Week

Product: Object d'Art / Sculpture
Artist: Alvaro Cuevas
Artist Website: http://www.alvarocuevas.com/
Material: Bronze
Yummy Factor: Full-Bodied !

Alquimista #4
Object d' Art by Mexican Artist Alvaro Cuevas

Elefantemanus #1
Object d' Art by Mexican Artist Alvaro Cuevas

The creations in The Animal-manus and The Time Alchemists collections which multidisciplinary mexican artist Alvaro Cuevas has assembled for his most reasent pieces of art, mirror the perfect fusion between the artistic quality of the creative laboratory of the artist, and the playful, fantasy quality that Cuevas brings to each of his work pieces.

The balance between expression and function, the studied combination of materials like bronze usual themes, and the magic of the unexpected that Cuevas is known for, make these pieces truly original objects d' art that, over and above their decorative potential, awaken a sense of fantasy in the beholder.

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

The Official Victoria Gift Guide (part 1)

The Holiday season has arrived, the city has embraced it with lights in the Downtown core and everybody is getting ready to make the most of this time of the year.

Yesterday we got the first snow of the season, I started writing my holiday greetings and I had chance to enjoy The Nutcracker at the Royal Theater. With the warmth of an eggnog latte I would like to share with you what are the best finds of this season in Victoria. We often read Oprah’s favourites, or the suggestions of any Home Decor magazine but we hardly ever find them in the city we live. With this in mind I decided to write this entry about these particular finds. Finds that are accessible in Victoria and that will make the perfect gift for that someone who really deserves the best!

NOTE - For Prices and availability of the products please contact the stores directly - Thanks !

* Fresh Soaps – Bernstein & Gold

Stunning ready-to-give gifts.

Our favourites are the Linden and Orange Chocolate

http://www.fresh.com/

Available locally at:

http://www.bernsteinandgold.com/

608 Yates Street - Ph 250. 384.7899

* Dora Maar Vase (Jonathan Adler) - Only Human
Surprising ! Surreal ! Sublime !

Our favourite Dora Maar Vase by Jonathan Adler

http://www.jonathanadler.com

Available locally at:

http://www.onlyhuman.ca/

Dragon Alley - Ph 250.661.4945

* Essence Glass Ware (IItala) – Gabriel Ross
Designed by Argentinan Alfredo Haberli - This glass ware respects tradition in its design, but also sets out to create something new to meet modern needs.

Our favourite champagne flutes

http://www.iittala.com/

Available locally at:
http://www.gabrielross.ca/

589 Bay Street - Ph 250.384.2554

* French Water Bouquet – Ramsey and Ramsey

Available locally only at:

Ramsey and Ramsey
2000 Oak Bay Avenue - Ph 250.595.8919

* Dwell Bedding - Bespoke

Our favourite Chinoiseire Collection

http://www.dwellstudio.com/
Available locally at:

http://www.bespokedesign.ca/

146-560 Johnson Street - Ph 250.298.1105

* Home by Kelly Hoppen - Bolen Books

http://www.kellyhoppen.com

Available locally at:

http://www.bolen.bc.ca
111-1644 Hillside Ave - Ph 250.595.4232

* Head Sculpture – Studio 201

A unique piece with strong personality.

Head Sculpture
Available locally at:

http://studio201furniture.com

536 Herald St - Ph 250.385.5600

* Oopsy Daisy Art – Finn & Izzy

Fresh and cool art for kids !

Our favourite Hush Little Baby by Karina Bania

http://www.oopsydaisy.com/
Available locally at:

Finn & Izzy

2041 Oak Bay Ave - Ph 250.592.8168

* Harmony flatware – Design House

Erik Bagger has created a new classic set of cutlery, matching modern table arrangements. Each item of Harmony embodies the designer's sense of function and aesthetics and shows his ability to combine modern ergonomics with traditional design. From Denmark.

Available locally at:
http://www.designhouse.ca/

616 Yates St. - 250.383.3579

* Calvin Klein Rugs - IPC Decor

Our favourite Calvin Klein Luster Washed Collection

http://www.calvinkleinrugs.com/

Available locally at:

http://www.ipcdecor.com

#22-532 Herald Street - Ph 250.361.3772

* Paper Soft Seating - Place

One of the coolest new innovative products on the market - It is so sculptural and unique - Love it!

http://www.molodesign.com

Available locally at:

http://placemodernliving.com/

3690 Shelbourne St - 250.381.3488

* Pick-up Bar - Nicholas Randall

3.5 oz of milk chocolate that promises never to lie to you, to be there in the morning, to never ask your age and to really truly listen to everything you have to say. It is a MUST have for the season (lol)

http://www.bloomsberry.com

Available locally at:

Nicholas Randall

2041 Oak Bay Avenue -Ph 250.592.1789

Keep visiting us for more Ideas to come ...

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011