Goetz

In recent years, cultural theory in all fields has been informed by a new emphasis on the body as a contested site of production of identities. In this sculpture I return to very traditional ways of making sculpture. It is a contribution to the postmodern debate and the question whether it is still – or again? – possible to work in this manner as a contemporary artist. Goetz is a life size figurative sculpture, and the portrait of a friend. Out of the depth of the tree, through the transformation of its original nature of growth, I carved the image of a man, an illusion of a human being. What we see is a man, but in reality, the sculpture is only form and the sum of different shapes and shadows. The tree is still a tree, even if I disguise it as a friend. The stillness of the sculpture is contradicted by the subtle colours and the bright gleam in the eyes, which is created using a special resin. Through the slight gestures and facial calm expression an atmosphere of life is produced. I used wood as the medium, since it is a symbol of life, and a sense of transformation and time still lingers in its presence. In this way, I have created something “tangible”, which is lost in the bustling flow of everyday life.