In Conversation with Sculpture Lorenzo Quinn

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS

N.01 - SEPTEMBER N.06 APRIL 2016 2015 ENGLISH EDITION

DIANE PERNET

THE ART OF SCULPTING A DREAM

LORENZO QUINN

A SHADED VIEW

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TIPS FOR HUMAN YOUNG DESIGNERS TOUCH

HOW Sculpture as a tool TO of

of ON UNITING PEOPLE FASHION THROUGH ART

communication WIN

KEEPING PASSION and CREATIVITY ALIVE

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‘What I really want to do with my sculpture is to communicate emotions and feelings.’

Lorenzo Quinn

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IN CONVERSATION

Source: Lorenzo Quinn’s Archive

www.lorenzoquinn.com

Lorenzo Quinn

is an Italian sculpture, whose inspiration comes “within a milisecond.”

Planning to be a Surrealist painter, at the age of 21 he decided his future lays in sculpture. After his first torso from Michelangelo’s drawing of Adam, Lorenzo developed his artistic style through the years by observing life’s everyday energy.

We had the pleasure to interrupt Mr. Quinn, while sketching at his art studio in Barcelona, Spain and had this beautiful and genuine talk.

This interview is devoted to all sculpture lovers, positive social changers and dreamers.

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Lorenzo Quinn modeling at his studio in Barcelona, Spain.

What lays behind your physical works? Why did you choose the medium of What is the poetry that they carry sculpture, after planning to be a within? painter?

I liked that sculpture is three dimensional, and painting is not. Another wonderful thing about sculpture is that it is more like for sharing, there is a copy, there is a series of sculptures, and when I sell it – I share it, I do not get rid of it. In painting after selling your work, you do no longer have it, there is an unfair relationship. I am very tactile person, I love touch.

What I really want to do with my sculpture is to communicate emotions and feelings. By nature I am an optimist and I always try to look from the good side of things. I try to talk about universal themes that I think affect all of us, like family, love, relationships, friendships – things that we all feel strong about. I try to transform these emotions into art.

“ I want to bring people together “ I believe hands represent trough my art.” communication between people and it is the first thing you feel Where does your inspiration come when you come to this world – from? your mother’s hands. It is a My inspiration comes from books, from speaking to people, philosophy, anything. It can be a world event, like natural beautiful way of communicating disaster. For example, when I made a sculpture called “The Force of Mother Nature” it was about the horrible tsunami. globally.”

It is really about what I want to talk about, which mostly is Life. Therefore, it needs to be something people understand; I want to bring people together trough my art.

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Why hands? Why are they so special “Once I am not here anymore in and sacred to you? What would you the future, my art will be here and like to represent with the idea of touch I will live on through my art.” and holding?

You have been commissioned for so many projects as the one for the United Nations, the Vatican, The Memorial for the World Trade Center in New York and many others. How do you feel as leaving a trace and impact on society and dealing with all those great human issues?

I like to speak about international themes, an universal language. Therefore, I am using hands, because there are so many different cultures around the world, and in all of them people understand the universal language of the hands. Everybody understands two hands in a plain position, or two hands asking for help. When you meet, the first thing you do is to shake hands with people. Hands are very important element of us and of course they are the main instruments for a sculpture. Thanks to all, I believe hands represent communication between people and it is the first thing you feel when you come to this world – your mother’s hands. It is a beautiful way of communicating globally.

One of the great things that an artist is able to do is to be able to leave a legacy. It is wonderful if you think about it.

I am 50 years old and still have another quarter, hopefully half of life ahead of me, but the greatest thing about it that once I am not here anymore in the future, my art will be here and I will live on through my art. I am very honoured to be able to almost become one of those few lucky people that live on after they are gone. I think a lot about spirituality, light and death. When I travel around the world I see all the great artist from the past that left something to the world. I feel honoured that my sculptures will outlast me and be here after I am not.

Besides hands, your sculptures usually represent entire human bodies in motion. In what way the human body forms fascinate you?

The human body is an incredible work of art. It really fascinates me. There are so many different representations of human body through movement. If you are an abstract artist you are loosing on so many wonderful human forms, beautiful elements of harmony.

Which artists have the biggest influ- “Talent is something you are born ence on your work? with. It makes you special.”

Salvador Dali, Rodin and the old masters – Michelangelo, Bernini.

What is the journey of an artist?

It starts with suffering and curiosity. An artist should be passionate, and be able to commit mistakes. If you can not do so, it is quite impossible. Many years going through different steps and most of all keeping the passion and creativity alive. I believe there are two aspects in an artist – talent and technique. You can learn technique because you limit your creativity if you are self though, the less you know you are more constrained, the more you know you can express yourself easily. But talent is something you are born with. It makes you special.

“One of the great things that an artist is able to do is to be able to leave a legacy.”

What is the scale of your canvas?

I am still not be able to fulfil my imagination. I would love to do sculptures 100-200-300 m big. A really monumental sculpture like Sphinx is so powerful for me.

Would you say that your work is introspective?

To stay permanent.

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In a way it is. Absolutely it is from my own experience.

Though, I do believe that I want to communicate with Art so my work is a dialogue, not a monologue.

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“Gravity” Bronze snd steel stainless, 75 x 56 x 24 cm

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“GAIA” Patinated bronze and white bronze 96 x 140 x 94 cm

“People lucky to receive should be able to give back.

If you give love, you receive it back.”

“Give and Take” Aluminium, 335 x 310 x 70 cm NOIR CATCHER APR 2016

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How do you choose the material that You are involved in various charity you work with? causes. What do you think about giving and receiving and about the cold I always try to discover and work with new materials. We live in a fantastic time in which so many new materials are age we live in?

constantly being invented. Technology, rendering and 3D printing take park of sculpture nowadays. It is okay to use I have supported many causes, giving back is very important. it, just like a tool but not to avoid being creative.

People lucky to receive, they should be able to give back. If you give love, you receive back. Separation between very poor and very wealthy is unsustainable. Collectively there What is Beauty for you? should be a law process for it. Do billions give you a more countable life? A lot of people have nothing to loose and Harmony. therefore become dishonest.

Could you tell us more about your “Globe” project and how did you come up with the idea of it?

________________________________ Interview by Elizabeth Zhivkova ________________________________

“Globe” is an on-going project of mine. I am working on it and revisiting it from time to time. I want to create a legacy and part of it is to dedicate to humanity and leave to our century. It is a sculpture about humans, about our history, old colonies, empires. It s a history of our civilization.

Same thing but in a different dreamy format.

What does your work “Hand of God” represent? Is there any existential motive?

I do believe in a power beyond. Gaia, Nature, God. I was brought up in a Christian way, I was Baptized, married in a church, and I do not believe in a literal God, I believe in a force and it is a fifth dimension. It can be a subconscious, a global conscious that you feel in the air. There is a positive energy and negative energy.

What is your favourite “living sculpture” of yours, the one you are most emotionally connected with and why?

I have three children, and love them equally for different reasons. I do not love one more than the other. The same is with my artwork. Iconic works that represent what I truly am are “Give and Take”, “Hand of God”, “Force of Nature”, “Gravity”.

When we talk of Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo or Picasso it is different to find only one iconic work. They are known for 4-5 masterpieces in their collections.

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“Hand of God” Bronze, 185 x 540 x 250 cm

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Lorenzo Quinn Illustrated by Katarzyna Jagielnicka for Noir Catcher

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