Sleeping Infant

 The Story

I came across these photographs of a stone carving I did in 1988 which I was very fond of at the time and still am. Looking at the photos now I would call that time in my work as my 'Romantic' period and was carving all my sculptures 'direct' or, working from memory. 

Jacob Epstein, sculptor 1880 -1959 and Stanley Spencer, painter 1891-1959 were my 'heroes' at the time and would still hold high regards today for them so-much-so that I traveled to England in 1993 to visit their graves ... 'my pilgrimage'. Interesting point here ... '93 was also the time I was taking part in a symposium in stone in Israel. The sculpture was also worked 'direct' and was titled 'The Kings Pillow' which won the first prize for me.

Epstein who helped to pioneer modern sculpture along with Spencer in painting both had more than interesting private life's ... these men were braking and changing the rules both in art and society which also appealed to my artistic senses. When you have had 'heroes' in life it's hard to rid them from your mind. They go to the grave with you.

Sleeping Infant

 Material; Polished Irish Limestone.

 Size; 17in. x 9in. x 8in.    Edition: One off. Private Collection, Ireland.  Year: 1988.

Sleeping Infant by daf is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Explicit Sexual Confessions of an Albino Rabbit.

Material;

Coil built Ball Clay. Electric High Fired.

Finish; Acrylic Paint, 24k Pearl Gold.   Size; 11in. x 10in. x12in.   Year; 2013

  

Edition; One off. Artist's Collection.

Artist's Statement;  ''The making of my art is a solitude endeavor between me, my material and the subconscious mind and to bring that balance into a reality. I like to think that my work reflects my thoughts and values with the interaction of my human emotions but also in breaking away from conventions and that for me as an artist is very much the self discovery.''

                                       The Story
This sculpture is a 'God and Us' story. The big guy sprawled out in the chair sitting in judgement with the Minnie Mouse mask, gold sunglasses, red bra and painted toe nails is the acting God. The Albino rabbit is symbolic of mankind ...'Albino' because of no discrimination on race and 'rabbit' because of breeding ... the unspoken need to reproduce. The golden stair's is symbolic of death that leads to Judgement Day ... and the rabbit being held down at the back of the chair ... is it being strangled or caressed ... who knows what happens at the end of life.   

 

                                                                                         
The Explicit Sexual Confessions of an Albino Rabbit. by daf is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
                                 

CLOWNS

Are we a pair?

Material;

Coil built Ball Clay. Electric High Fired.

Clay is from Borneo. Ball clay's are relatively scarce deposits due to the combination of geological factors needed for their formation and preservation.

Finish; Acrylic Paint, 24k Pearl Gold.     Size; Life Size     Year; 2011 

  

Edition; One off. Artist's Collection.

Artist's Statement;      ''The making of my art is a solitude endeavor between me, my material and the subconscious mind and to bring that balance into a reality. I like to think that my work reflects my thoughts and values with the interaction of my human emotions but also in breaking away from conventions and that for me as an artist is very much the self discovery.''


                                                                    The Story 

The CLOWNS ... a symbolic work in human form of conscious and subconscious ... which seems to show up in a lot of my work over the years. The clown with the tramp-like hat is the subconscious self. He can swim and fly at the same time, totally carefree and exits only outside of the conscious and that's why he is looking away from the second clown ... conscious. Looking straight ahead and aware of everything that's going on, emotions, thoughts, fears, pain, all the human stuff that's in play everyday ... but at the back of conscious it's all sinking. The boat, Ego is split into two and going down but thought, fear, pain and the emotions are hanging on to conscious for their survival ... the story of all human beings. 

  

CLOWNS by daf is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

.

TOP DOG.

TOP DOG

Material;

Coil built Ball Clay. Electric High Fired.

Clay is from Borneo. Ball clays are relatively scarce deposits due to the combination of geological factors needed for their formation and preservation.

Added Materials;

Polyresin, Concrete {inside}, Plastic and Metal Buttons, Cloth Hatband, Leather Belt.

Finish;

Acrylic Paint, 24k Pearl Gold.

Size;

67 inches High,  {170mm}

Edition;

One off.

Artist's Collection.

Year;

2014 - 2015.

''The making of my art is a solitude endeavor between me, my material and the subconscious mind and to bring that balance into a reality. I like to think that my work reflects my thoughts and values with the interaction of my human emotions but also in breaking away from conventions and that for me as an artist is very much the self discovery.''

 

TOP DOG by DAF is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

TWO STONES ...

''When I was romancing the stones'' ....


Photo taken by E. Hansen ... Thank You.

''A Monument to all Horses''  on the left of photo and  ''From the Earth to the Sky'' on the right.

''A Monument to all Horses''

Irish Limestone
 Carved from one block, 1995-1997

  9 feet long x 2 feet 8 inches wide x 6 feet high                
[ 2.74m x 0.84m x 1.83m  ]

Private Collection of Newbridge Silverware, Ireland.

''From the Earth to the Sky''

Polished African Black Granite mounted on concrete base with mirror on four sides. 
Two Blocks

19 feet 8 inches high
[ 6m high ]

2002
Private Collection of Newbridge Silverware, Ireland.

Both of these sculptures can be seen in this blog in more detail by typing in their title in the above search box or click on title to link.

A MONUMENT TO ALL HORSES and FROM THE EARTH TO THE SKY by DAF
is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Ireland License.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at deedaf.blogspot.com. 

''A Moment in a Rose Garden''

Material :  Plywood and acrylic paint.

Size :    24 inches x 16 inches
             [ 0.61m x 0.41m ]

    Private Collection,  Ireland.
.

The Story ...
When I did this painting in 1997 I more or less stopped painting at the time without giving it any thought ... and this had nothing to do with me in coming to that decision at the time about me painting but I do remember when a painter, a so-called 'friend' saw it and told me in all seriousness I should stick with my sculpture. Human nature I will never understand but I realize our emotions can get in the way. The reason why we are different from all other life forms is because we can be creative and this is something that is very personal but then we let it go and move on to the next work. Artists are people who live to be creative, speaking for myself and the emotions are what's involved in creativity and maybe it's because we can use creativity to express our self's where words can fail. An image is more powerful for an instant reaction from the mind and can leave that first impression implanted for a long time, even for a life. The artist depends on the emotions of the viewer to give the artwork a 'life' and not necessarily what the artist may have intended. As human beings we have invented everything as we know it, including knowledge and religion and to be creative is an extension of that mind to explore and be inventive.
I would encourage all to be creative and therefore I would feel mankind, apart from yourself would be the better for it ... don't think, but do. Be creative and keep away from people who belittle your creativity, they will have their own agendas in life.

 ''A Moment in a Rose Garden'' is stepping out of myself and being free as the bird flying over that rose garden.''





 
This work is licensed under a  
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.  

'Day One'

Polished Irish Limestone.

1987

13in. High

Private Collection - Belfast, Ireland.


The Story.
Everything about the carving of this sculpture I remember and since 1987 to this year 2013 it will be regarded by me as one of the sculptures where I felt in tune with the stone and though the work is in a private collection I would pay 10 times and more what I received for it to have it with me today.





'Day One' by DAF is licensed under a
 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. 

 

'OPUS ONE'

2004
  
 Irish Gray Granite

9 in. High x 12 in.Long 

{ 23cm High x 30cm Long }

Private Collection - Japan  

The Story ...
'Opus One' was made on invitation specially for a touring exhibition in Japan which took place in 2004 - 2005. Apart from 'Opus One' being a finished sculpture in it's own right it was also intended as a model for a large public work in granite to be sited in Japan which unfortunately for me did not happen. 
 Today I am still happy with this work because I felt at the time it was a new direction for me in my stone work and also in how I was 'looking' at stone that I also felt a 'maturity' both of mind and experience in working the stone was now with me and hence the title ... 'Opus One' came to me when the sculpture was completed. It was a symbolic statement on my part that this is the 'one' work that came from all of my previous works in the stone.










'Opus One' by DAF is licensed under 
a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. 

'AFRICA ... A Separate Reality'

Mix Media ... Wood, Glass, Paint, Plastic bird and gun, 
Photographs, Bullet Casings and My Memories of Africa.

14in. x 16in high x 6in.
[0.36m x 0.40m]

Private Collection, Ireland.






Africa .. A Separate Reality by DAF is licensed under a
 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at deedaf.blogspot.com.

BLACK HOLE

'BLACK HOLE''

2005

Black Granite - South Africa
Grey Granite - China
Pine Wood - Canada


2ft.x 9ins.x 6ft.3ins
{0.60m x 0.22m x 1.90m.} 

Private Collection, Ireland

 

 

   Visit the Video  ..

BLACK HOLE

http://youtu.be/Y_rX_SzLCS4

''BLACK HOLE'' by DAF is licensed under a  

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

''An Artist's Journey Through Transferance''

 

 

 

 

 

'The Transference' was the process by which emotions associated with parents and country unconsciously shifted to the child 
and in time into the artwork ... 
 the 'Final Transference.'

Transference was first described by Sigmund Freud who acknowledged its importance for psychoanalysis for the better understanding of the patient's feelings.

Extract from Wikipedia ...

 One definition of transference is .. "the inappropriate repetition in the present of a relationship that was important in a person's childhood." Another definition is .."the redirection of feelings and desires and especially of those unconsciously retained from childhood toward a new object."  Still another definition is .."a reproduction of emotions relating to repressed experiences, especially of childhood, and the substitution of another person 
for the original object of the repressed impulses." 

In my own opinion and experiences everybody in every situation 
is in transference. It is one of the important pathological effects that go into the make-up of an artist and subconsciously will  surface in the artwork without fail depending on the state of mind at the time of making the artwork, and which allows one to grow, transform and explore as an artist.      

 

 

View the Video ...
''An Artist's Journey Through Transference''
http://youtu.be/fiaxBUfptVk

''Story Box''
http://youtu.be/zdZ2b5DzJCs



All artwork and photographs by the artist.



''An Artist's Journey Through Transference'' by DAF 
is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.