FIGURATIVE SCULPTURE
By Philip Hammial
Artist's Statement: These eight large figures were exhibited at the Bathurst Regional Gallery from July 3 to August 19, 2002, my twenty-fifth solo exhibition. For better or worse, I think of myself, first, as a poet and, second, as a sculptor. When I don't have the solitude or psychic space to engage in the "serious" business of poetry, I make sculpture. I can make sculpture any time - early in the morning, late at night, after a day of hard work loading & unloading trucks, whenever. It's easy. Using my hands, the sculpture more or less makes itself. Having spoken to me from the bins where they're kept, it usually only takes a few minutes to place the arms, legs, torsos, heads, etc. on the floor in the shape of a creature. Then comes the hard part, the thinking part - how to stick the pieces together so they won't fall apart. The materials come from scrap yards, tips, neighborhood throw-outs and garage sales. Over the years I've probably made at least a thousand pieces, ranging in size from a few centimeters to over two meters. If I had a bigger studio I'd make larger figures. As it is, the heads on some of the figures in the photographs are removable - to fit into my garage cum studio. It's probably obvious that I'm a self-taught artist, a blessing as far as I'm concerned, most of the trained artists I know having told me that it took them years to forget what they learned in art schools.
About the Artist Philip Hammial
|
Born in Detroit, Philip Hammial migrated to Australia in 1972. His 14th book, Bread, was short-listed for a NSW Premier's Award in 2001. In 2000 he represented Australia at 3 overseas poetry festivals: Poetry Africa 2000 in Durban; the Franco-Anglais Festival of Poetry in Paris; and The World Festival of Poets in Tokyo. He is a sculptor who has had 25 solo exhibitions & has participated in over 50 group exhibitions. As the director of The Australian Collection of Outsider Art he has organised/curated 22 exhibitions of Australian Outsider Art in Australia, France, Germany, USA. |
[Above] Photo of Philip Hammial by Anne Welch, 2001.
I Next I
Back I
Exit I
Thylazine No.7 (March, 2003) |
