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Carl Gamester

BoldBrush Recommends: Carl Gamester

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BoldBrush Recommends: Carl Gamester

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Biography

Carl Gamester's vocation is Art and his happiest moments are often experienced when creating, as the process is similar to the act of meditating as time, space and the ego is lost in the creative process. Carl has a BA in Fine Art exploring the disciplines of Sculpture, Photography and Painting. He has exhibited in the United Kingdom and abroad. Carl has been commissioned to produce photographic work. He has previously exhibited with prominent artist's including Michael Speller and Lydia Corbett (Picasso's muse). Carl has also been shortlisted to create a sculpture for Runnymede Borough Council to commemorate WW1. The designs were recommended to be used as a learning aid for children with special needs. He was also offered a commission to create a sculpture for their sculpture trail. Carl is a member of the Surrey Sculpture Society. He has an eclectic mix of work, including welded metal sculptures. He aims to produce original work that resonates with the audience.

Carl's practice consists of the mediums of sculpture, photography and painting and he takes his inspiration from a number of sources. The sculpture "Artemis" for example was drawn from his subconscious perception of an ex-girlfriend. The creative process of fashioning the sculpture was a way of exorcising the memories relating to the relationship, in order to move on at an emotional/psychological level. The sculpture was initially fashioned in clay, and then a plaster mould was made from the form. Once this was completed the form was cast by pouring plaster into the mould, and finally painted. Other influences can derive from everyday objects, or artefacts that he has initially sketched in the British Museum. These initial drawings then often morph into abstract drawings of three dimensional sculptures in their own right. He is also influenced from abstract elements that he has observed in architecture, photographed and then drawn, finally rendering into a three dimensional form. Within his sculptures he mainly tries to follow the concept of creating work that has presence and vitality and that works in harmony with negative space and the surroundings. He attempts to create work that has a presence and verve in its own right. Carl has additionally made sculptures in wood and stone using traditional wood and stone carving techniques.

As part of his sculpture practice Carl has created a series of angular metal sculptures with reference to modernism called "Tree of Life", using pieces of reclaimed metal which he configures before welding into shapes and forms. The "Tree of Life" series are a metaphor for the different directions one's life can take depending on the choices one makes. If the decision was positive the corresponding element in the sculpture will gravitate upwards, if negative then downwards. If the decision leads to an impasse or procrastination is present then this is represented in the sculpture as a sphere. Additionally, a parallel theme is that the juxtaposed materials in the sculptures create tension where the elements touch. The rationale being that the contrast of the different elements placed side by side create fusion where they meet, at the same time maintaining their unique identity. The contrast of the elements (straight and curved/long and short), create a dynamism as they "work" against each other where they touch. Within these sculptures the negative space (the shapes that are formed during the process of construction are just as important), is such that the parts of the sculpture are initially placed on a flat surface, and then added and subtracted (much like the process of drawing), until the artist deems that he has achieved harmony between the juxtaposed elements and the resulting negative spaces that are formed. Sometimes parts within the sculpture reflect others in their shape and alignment. With his practice he has endeavoured to create works of art that have vigour in their own right that can exist in space (i.e. a powerful presence) with their own uniqueness, that stand out and that have an impact on their surroundings. This is the exciting challenge that the artist faces when attempting to create a new piece of art. When the artist is able to achieve this is when the "magic" happens and satisfaction follows, as well as the enjoyment gained in overcoming the frustrations met along the way.

Some of Carl's work is influenced by surrealism. The surrealist element deals with the subconscious, his subconscious interpretation of what he is viewing. The characteristics of the surrealist style being a combination of the depictive, the abstract, and the psychological. He attempts to capture the quintessence or vitality and energy of what he perceives through this practice. In his abstract paintings and sculptures of female nudes Carl is attempting to portray the totality of what women symbolise to him on a psychological level; the fundamental nature of their power and magnificence. At times in some of his work is his interpretation of their lure and therefore the power they wield over man due to their sensuality. He finds creating sculpture the most challenging of the art disciplines; he considers it more dynamic and expressive as it can be viewed from all angles.

Carl's photography practice ranges from traditional analogue black and white to colour photography and to digital photography. Within the traditional photography medium he uses traditional processing methods to develop the film; scanning the negative to create a digital print before printing on specialist photographic paper and mounting on aluminium. Carl renders the black and white photographs mostly highly contrasted, as he finds this makes the pictures more atmospheric. As well as being trained at degree level in analogue Photography he has taken supplementary courses in digital photography to BTEC Level 2. Within his portraits (in both mediums) he has previously explored the relationship between the viewer and the subject. He sometimes achieves this by deliberately seeking out and incorporating people in his work who are on the fringes of society. He has tried to capture images of people that have an interesting persona (in his portraiture series). Carl attempts to convey the individuality and uniqueness of the sitter. The portraits ask the viewer (via the action of viewing) specific questions about their preconceived ideas of people. When shooting marginalised and sometimes suppressed groups, he attempts to provoke thoughts in the viewer and hopefully challenge the viewer to regard the subjects in a new more positive light; freeing them of any preconceived ideas and prejudices.

Carl has also created a series of male nudes that echo vulnerability due to the foetal position the model adopts. The body contortion symbolises this as within the interior the viewer is aware space and softness resides within. The body positioning draws parallels to nature; like a nut with a hard outer shell and soft inner. Additionally, the texture of the soft sand, on which the model is posed, juxtaposed against the hard matter of the body tissues reinforces this duality. The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu (who wrote the Tao Te Ching) indicates this when he muses on the fact that with a container the empty space (soft) is holding the contents and without emptiness nothing would fit within. Hence dualism between interior and exterior. Citing the example of a house, valued due to the empty space, within hard solid walls as protection. Similarly, the fact that the nude is portrayed with his eyes shut is indicative of the contemplative subconscious: meditative, a conscious choice turning away from the outward/exterior to the inner/interior. As per the quote by Lao Tzu "To know others is intelligence, to know oneself is wisdom". Viewing a man in the posture of an unborn child may also elicit emotions in observers. This is due to the fact men are not usually portrayed as vulnerable due to societal conditioning and expectations of what it constitutes to be male. The sense of vulnerability of the male nudes (due to the body positioning, contrasted with the muscular powerful physique) also creates contrasting dualism and is paradoxical. Carl's photographs are also depictions of what inspires him; currently nature, landscapes, portraiture and architecture. He has most recently been experimenting with the limits of digital photography. Photographing coloured light at night to create images that appear like a canvas of light and are more akin to an abstract painting than a photograph. The camera taking the place of the traditional paintbrush whilst the night sky acts as the canvas.

Carl's painting technique is surreal and the paint is applied in layers. He gains greatest enjoyment when applying paint with painting apparatus i.e. painting knives rather than brushes. He savours the freedom and serendipity that can be obtained when using such implements. This results in the paintings having a sculptural element to them as the paint juts out in places from the canvas, giving them a three dimensional quality. Carl has made a series of paintings based on his subconscious perceptions and interpretation of women and his relationship towards them.

Carl attempts to create works that he deems timeless. Although he does not intend to replicate other artist's work and or style; he strives to achieve the vitality and beauty that is contained within past renowned artist's work, within his own. This characteristic is what grants their work a sense of presence, instead of one of dullness and also accounts for their monumentality. Carl uses this characteristic as a benchmark when considering other artist's work. He is at his happiest when he is creating art. He wishes to produce well-crafted work. With the majority of his practice, fundamental importance is to stimulate the audience to view concepts from a different perspective, to arouse emotions and to be thought provoking. He hopes to bring enjoyment to the lives of others by using his artistic talents and abilities. Carl hopes that others can gain as much enjoyment from the final output as he did when creating the work. Carl's work is held in private collections in both the UK and abroad.

If you have reached this far, thank you for your time in order to acquaint yourself with my art practice! If you have any enquiries please feel free to contact me via the CONTACT link. If you would like to keep abreast of new developments etc. please feel free to sign up to the newsletter (at the bottom of each page).

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