Silvia Krupinska - Organic Contemporary Sculpture Blog

Organic Art Giveaway

Silvia — Fri, 31 May 2013 18:46:51 +0000

My art has a lot to do with different landscapes that I lived near by, visited or that in other way influenced me. Email me on silviakrupinska@gmail.com with a short paragraph of how and which landscape had an effect on you whatever country you live in, possibly which one you’d love to visit and in 4 weeks I’ll pick 8 people to whom I will post special signed artworks I’ll make for them on a white tag. (Feel free to include an image in your email and put ‘Landscapes’ in the subject line. Remember to include your postal address too.) Who will receive ‘Heavy Mountain Lake’ in post from me?

Follow me on Twitter @silviakrupinska with #OrganicArtGiveaway or like my Facebook page click here.

Silvia Krupinska, Tazke Pleso 2013 _Heavy Mountain Lake 2013. Abalone on white tag.

Organic Sculptures in DegreeArt Magazine

Silvia — Wed, 29 May 2013 16:53:40 +0000

9 of Unit 3 Projects artists have done a residency in London’s DegreeArt called In All Directions, which finished in mid-May 2013. I’m very pleased how the residency turned out. The truth is, it seemed ages ago now, as I’d finished another project already titled Origins in Unit 3 Projects. The magazine deserves a blog post too, so here we go. Enjoy flicking the slick pages.

Please look through the magazine on this link. It is really nicely done! Thanks so much DegreeArt. My artwork has been featured on pages 7, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 75, and 81.

Origins in Unit 3 Projects began

Silvia — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:22:47 +0000

Hello from a sunny London! I thought my blog posts have become more frequent lately, if you’re a subscriber sorry if your inbox is receiving too many updates. To my defence, this is my season..creative season. And when I’m rolling, I’m unstoppable! Just kidding. I’ve decided to use this single post for updates on my ‘Origins’ project at Unit 3 Projects. I’ll add photos and text to it, as it develops. I won’t create new single posts on the same theme of ’Origins’ but I’ll just add on to this one, that way you’re spared emails …saying that, do come back to keep track and see new ideas and you’re more than welcome to visit me in the space (email first silviakrupinska at gmail.com) or at the event on 23 May! Facebook event link. Before I forget, Thank you to ASC for putting my event on their website! Now there is a statement I’ve written about my inspirations behind Origins, click here to read it.

Origins Day 1 outdoors: 1 May 2013

I did a photo shoot with my organic sculpture ‘Farol’ in Epping Forest. The sculpture is one of the larger ones in the series, I was curious to see it outdoors. And then, this dog found it very puzzling to discover it…check it out!

Origins Day 1 indoors: 1 May 2013

Discovering light and dark of the Unit 3 Projects space in this 55 second video.

Origins Day 7 indoors: 7 May 2013

I’ve some good news to report. I’ve secured a sponsor for Origins! Thanks to Jim’ll Mix It company I’ll have a hill of sand for my installation at Unit 3 Projects. I’m so excited as I always wanted to fulfil this idea…I’ll bring you some images from the process, as it develops.

14 May, sand in day! Never worked so hard in my life!

(Need to work even harder to bring all the sand out soon! Helpers welcomed)

Click to view slideshow.

Happy to announce I’ve another sponsor for the event. Local company The Nut House will supply their fresh cakes, dried fruit and nuts. Thank you!

17 May 2013 – 6 days to the event

130 metres of ribbon is ready to be hanged for my ‘May Installation’ on Wednesday in Empson Street. You can’t miss it on Thursday on your way to Unit 3 Projects ’Origins’ event 6-9 pm.
‘May Installation’ is inspired by a Slovak old tradition of ‘Majov/Mays’, which is considered the most romantic gesture of all, not practised so much nowadays. A young man would go in the forest to search for the tallest best tree to bring to his girlfriend. Before setting it in the ground, he’d add ribbons and decorate it with a hope to marry her. ‘Mays’ are also known to protect new houses from bad luck and ghosts…

Click to view slideshow.

Some new works made especially for the event, from ‘Mountain Lakes’ series below – coming in two sizes – 19.5cm sqare and 14cm square in abalone.

Click to view slideshow.

Installation day

Event day and exhibition

Click to view slideshow.

‘Pearl’ sculptures at Grand Designs Live

Silvia — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:19:54 +0000

You can see my ‘Pearl’ sculptures at Grand Designs Live at Excel from 4-12 May 2013 with Curious Duke Gallery. I’m planning to be there on Monday, if you would like to find out all about them directly. Let me know. I’m looking forward to seeing you there!

Art reviews for Sky’s OH TV

Silvia — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:48:26 +0000

In May 2012 I was a guest on a TV show ‘Culture Vultures’ on Sky channel 199 OH TV. Click on the link to read a post about it. What I didn’t know, that one day I’d record art reviews for the same show! So It happened to my delight back in December and January/February this year. I had recorded 19 of Artists’ reviews. There were 19 artists works I chose to share on the TV screens with you. I prefer to call them more introductions than reviews, as I share my most loved artists and artworks around me and bring those to your attention. I love doing that! There are little better things than talking about a loved piece of art, or an artist you admire. And most of all, people don’t want to listen, if one talks about herself/himself all the time! Try it. Promote your artists friends, or if you’re in an another profession, praise your colleagues’ work, and you’ll feel so good! Speaking from my own experience! I’d recommend it to anyone.

left:Culture Vultures presenter Rosemary Laryea, book reviewer Gill Fisher and sculptor and art reviewer Silvia Krupinska

More about ‘Culture Vultures’. Culture Vultures is a panel discussion and review show (3o min long) presented by Jazz FM radio personality Rosemary Laryea. Each week, special panel guests pick apart and review new films, music, books, classical art, plays and other trends emerging from the world of Arts and Culture. The guests on ‘Culture Vultures’ will include critics, authors, designers, film-makers and writers, each with their own eclectic styles and tastes, led by Rosemary. The second season of Culture Vultures welcomed me as part of the reviewing team (Sculptor and Art Reviewer Silvia Krupinska) and Book Critic Gill Fisher. We joined Rosemary on set alongside a special guest, who tells exciting stories from whatever creative industry they come from. Then, both Gill and I in each episode have done our reviews. Gill book reviews and me art reviews. Unfortunately the second season of ’Culture Vultures’ had already ended. I talked about five artists and their works. They were Jason DeCaires Taylor, Shan Hur, Nicola Anthony, Carne Griffiths and Sam Shendi. You can read Nicola’s post on her website about it here. If you missed those you can look out for Season 3, which is fast approaching in April (my reviews start again on Monday 29th at 2 pm with review of art by Anne Bevan). It will also be jam-packed with an eclectic bunch of special guests such as Delia Barker, Co-Director of the English National Ballet School; Nana Afua Twi, Britain’s Top Model of Colour winner; Eryka Freemantle, celebrity make-up artist and the multi-talented musician Lonyo Englele. Thank you so much to make-up artist Juliet Onyeka Osodi (@onyekaBeauty) who had done the make up for us all!

left, presenter Rosemary Laryea, musician Ciyu Brown, Gill Fisher book reviews and Silvia Krupinska art reviews.

Schedule of my art reviews as it’s been given to me follows. Please note changes might occur without any notice. You can click on the artists to explore their websites. Do let me know if you watch it and tweet about it with #CultureVultures tag, you can follow me @silviakrupinska and @OHTV if you like too! Thanks for your visit come again and enjoy the sun. Happy Friday!

(Since first writing this post, in fact the order of the shows has been mixed up. I have no control of this matter and to ensure to see the desired show, watch each week I guess. Sorry for any inconvenience.)

ANNE BEVAN

(29th April 2013 at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.

AGNETHA SJOGREN	6th May 2013 at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.
JONNY BRIGGS	13th May 2013 at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.
ABIGAIL BOX	20th May 2013 at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.
BEN LEVY	27th May 2013 at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.
TOMAS LIBERTINY	3rd June 2013 at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.
ROGER HIORNS	(10th June 2013 at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.
KATE MCCGWIRE	17th June 2013 at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.
JOANNA ROSE TIDEY	24th June 2013 at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.
KATIE PATERSON	1st July 2013 at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.
ANNA BARLOW	8^th July at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.
CAROLINE JANE HARRIS	(Monday 15^{th July} at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.
JOHN BUNKER	Monday 22nd July at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.
JONATHAN GABB	Monday 29^{th July} at 2.00pm + same time repeats for the rest of that week.

Picture of the day: 25.4.2013 – ‘Pearls’ in glass

Silvia — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:53:04 +0000

I’ve been preparing a presentation of my ‘Pearl’ series sculptures, and I feel I like them in combination with colour and glass. What’s your view? Available at Curious Duke Gallery.

Confessions of ‘Mountain Lakes’

Silvia — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:26:17 +0000

Hello. I’ve been thinking how often one can get lost in contemporary art and its meanings. I for this reason for the first time have written an open ‘confession’ of what inspired me and drove me to make the new abalone sculptures, drawings, call them what you want. With my ‘heart on the text’ I give you this statement about my recent series. All of the pieces are available on DegreeArt.com website under Unit 3 Projects profile. Click away. Thanks.

During the DegreeArt residency ‘In All Directions’, I’ve focused and challenged myself to use another kind of natural material – abalone shells and their mother of pearl. I’m an organic sculptor; I thrive on challenges like these! I picked these shells for a specific reason. I’ve done a research into what kind of shells there are and how they can be sustainably sourced. I use broken recycled abalone shells and my supplier has the Trade in Endangered Species licence (CITES). It is very important to me and I believe as an artist I have a responsibility to the environment.

Silvia Krupinska, Frozen Lake, High Tatras, Slovakia, 2013_detail

The new works of ‘Mountain Lakes’ are personal works that relate to the place where I was born in Slovakia, The High Tatras Mountains (Those are split on the north with Poland too). I felt I needed to share part of my belonging, the shapes of snowy peaks and nature I could see every day from my window that influenced me hugely. All this might have contributed that I became a sculptor!
The abalone shells also link my previous sculptural series ‘From the Bottom of the Sea’ and ‘Pearl’ series to the new ‘Mountain Lakes’ series. I consider abalone beautiful as they are, and incorporating them in my works was always going to be something I was going to be very careful about. The way around it was to forget about their preciousness and look at them purely as a sculpting material. Having previously crashed pearls and shells for sculpting, I found this worked this time too, and I could use the mother of pearl contained in abalone shells, including the varied textures and colours.
I used a map of the High Tatras Mountains and I lifted the shapes of mountain lakes out (plesa in Slovak). There are various myths and legends connected to the lakes, those helped me to decide which ones I’d like to enlarge and fill in with mother of pearl. For example ‘Green Duck Lake’ (Zelene Kacacie Pleso) has a myth of a mesmerising white duck laying a golden egg nearby it each Easter; yet no brave man was able to bring it home. Apparently they turned into a rock on contact with the egg!
I’ll return to abalone once again, as one aspect of it I haven’t explained yet. All shells are grittier and rougher on the outside and the inside of the shell that is in direct contact with the animal, the snail that lives in it, is very smooth and often shiny, containing mother of pearl. The inner side, normally considered by people as more attractive side is while the animal is alive, hidden away. The inner beauty is tucked away from us. I’ll compare it to humans now, as good comes within from our hearts us people, doesn’t matter about the outside shell…I self-reflect and have abalone to represent me, us people, as a gesture, adding second personal level to my work, apart from the geographical aspect.

Silvia Krupinska, Green Duck Lake, Hight Tatras, Slovakia, 2013

The viewer has a power to a certain extend to change the works, by the reflective surface picking up the colours around it and slightly changing their colour depending. The levels of the light make the artworks change too – they become more ‘sparkly’ with lots of light or colourful and calmer in more shady spot.
These new pieces move between of mediums of sculpture and drawing. Ultimately they are sculptures.

You can see my ‘Mountain Lake’ series and my fellow artists works already starting on Tuesday, 23rd of April at DegreeArt gallery at Vyner street, London. Read more here. I hope to see you there. The show is on till May 5th, 2013. Thank you!

Sculpture finished in sea water

Silvia — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 23:23:38 +0000

I finished a sculpture at Tynemouth Longsands beach yesterday by dipping it in the sea water. I’ve more images and this photographic series and they will be available as original photographic prints in the near future. Have a great week and come back soon for the next blog post. Cheers!

New abalone works of mountain lakes now on my website

Silvia — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 22:11:09 +0000

Click to view them here - http://cargocollective.com/silviakrupinska/LAKES and follow #DAresidency #InAllDirections for more on twitter.

In All Directions residency at DegreeArt

Silvia — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 09:55:54 +0000

24 March – 05 May

10 diverse artists from Unit 3 Projects (I’m happy including myself) will work with, beside, around and against one another in DegreeArt’s ‘The Execution Room’ in order to engage themselves and you in an experimental and haphazard creative conversation. Taking ‘gesture’ as its central theme, In All Directions is a celebration of possibility, exchange and risk.

The residency will see the exhibition space transformed into an artist studio with an active and engaging atmosphere. Open daily 12-6 pm for visitors to come and see work being conceived of, made and discussed.

Photo (left to right): Pamela Carr, Henry Byrne, Silvia Krupinska, Luis Ignacio Rodriguez, Jennifer Farmer, Hormazd Narielwalla, Samuel Overington and Abigail Box. (MIA: Flavius Alagrius and John Appleton)

Twitter: @DegreeArt #InAllDirections #DAresidency #Unit3Projects | Facebook:facebook.com/DegreeArt | facebook.com/Unit3Gallery | Instagram: DegreeArt Tumblr:DegreeArt.tumblr.com | Unit-3.tumblr.com | Video: Interviews | Press Release: PDF
Thu 04 Apr First Thursdays 6-9 pm
Sat 20 Apr Showing: Drawing and Contact Improvisation 2-3 pm
Sat 20 Apr “In conversation with…” : You, The Artist, Their Work, A Recording Device
Tue 23 Apr Exhibition opening with Pecka Kucha talks 6-9 pm
Sat 27 Apr Sharpen My Pencil life drawing salon with Coffee+Sponge 6:30-9 pm £8 RSVP
Sun 28 Apr Workshop: Pen Nor Paper 5-7pm £8 RSVP
Thu 02 May First Thursdays 6-9 pm
Sat 04 May But What Kind Of Art 7-9 pm

I want to say a big Thank you to LivePozitive. They sponsored me and are supporting me all the way. I answered some questions for them in this interview. And another article as my work progresses is here.