Sculptures
Photo credit: Brenda Clews
direct link to slideshow: Theo Willemse's Studio, August 2010
These sculptures are models for casting in bronze or matrix, which is a gypsom cement that has the quality of marble. The final sculptures are hand-finished.
The originals are fragile. They are sculpted from an industrial grade styrofoam and worked with fine layers of plaster. Then they are honed with files, sandpapers and sometimes patinas. Often Theo leaves traces of the finishing process in the markings, adds an element of decay by burning edges or penetrations to achieve a disintegrating quality to areas of whiteness. The burnings become moments of smouldering and add syncopation to the rhythms of the sculptural forms.
In his studio, the pieces emit a strange stage-set quality, appearing to be solid plaster sculptures yet light as air. If one fell, it might crack. They radiate under the spot lighting with an apparition-like presence that is strong yet delicate. Each one is a labour of months from inception to finished model. They will be destroyed in the casting process.
(photographs and description by Brenda Clews, August 2010)
direct link: Theo Willemse -An Artist's Statement
Theo Willemse is a Dutch-Canadian artist living in Toronto, Canada. While he is primarily a sculptor working in wood, resin, fibreglass, plaster, neo-Matrix, bronze and other materials, he also has paintings and drawings. Slideshows of his recent works, which were shown at SPAZ I O dell'arte in a solo show in September 2010, may be viewed here at his website.
This video is an interview conducted with Theo just prior to his September 2010 show at dell'arte.
Interview and video by Brenda Clews.
Photo credit: Kat Bee and Adrian Henderson
direct link to slideshow: Catalogue of Recent Works 2010
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