Johann Gosselet
Choosing iron as his main material Johann Gosselet recycles old derelict objects into sculptures. The metal art revolves around the shape of animals or humans, combining them with iron mechanical objects the style looks like engineered art-pieces of half-organic half machine sculptures. “Aquastructure animée du mecapenOpisthOglyphes” for example is a sculpture resembling a snake that can be animated through strings that is in turn operated by turning a wheel and axle.
Johann Gosselet also constructs fully functional desk lamps made from a range of old and antique bits and pieces like machine parts, wheels, gears, valves, instrument gauges, tubes, mechanical fittings, cameras, and old musical instruments just to name a few. Johann Gosselet found inspiration from old junks and give them new lives through art.
Indiefonica: What made you chose wrought iron and recycled materials as your medium?
Johann Gosselet: I first started drawing and practiced computer graphics but I was missing the feel of (side relief?) 3 dimensional creations, I looked for the right material like clay and wood, but metal interest me the most so I trained for a year on wrought iron to learn to work with the metal.
Indiefonica: How was your first introduction to metal works?
Johann Gosselet: I like the cold, hard metal and the way I can work with it, heat it to make it as soft as chewing gum and make amazing things out of it… I also like the alteration of old antiques such as cutting a 1900s old trumpet in order to give it a new breath, creating new object while imagining how many people had blew on that antique trumpet.
Indiefonica: How do you usually procure your recycled material?
Johann Gosselet: I’m always searching for unique objects, I spend a lot of time hunting around in flea markets, garage sales, or the internet. Sometimes people bring me a certain object that is dear to them and I return it back with a new life through my creations.
Indiefonica: Since your artworks are made from recycled materials, how do you start your artworks? Having the idea first or the material first?
Johann Gosselet: Sometimes it starts with a sketch, especially if it’s an order, but most of the time I just let my imagination runs free and start sculpting an object that inspires me; a face, a beak… then the composition, I visualize the outcome, this allows me to choose objects that are suitable for the realization of my sculpture.
Indiefonica: Do you work certain hours of the day or do you work only when you are feeling inspired?
Johann Gosselet: Actually, I work depending on my inspiration, there are days when you have it, other days not so much. The night and dreams are great source of inspiration for me.
Indiefonica: Part of the fun I enjoy with your art is trying to figure out which part came from what, what is Corbo's beak made of?
Johann Gosselet: Ha ha.. thank you, Corbo’s beak is a part from an old tractor. I immediately saw the beak of a crow and I started the sculpture from it.
Indiefonica: Do you learn techniques from other artists?
Johann Gosselet: I am very much in touch with all the aspects of the arts, but I think my inner world is rich enough for me not to seek inspiration from other artists. It’s important for me to follow my own style.
Indiefonica: What are some of your favourite works to date? and why?
Johann Gosselet: My favourite work for the moment is the “ptit hom articulé” (articulated little men), a work in progress, it’s the most complex piece of work I’ve ever done, mechanically and aesthetically.
Indiefonica: What is your ultimate goal, professionally?
Johann Gosselet: My ultimate goal would be to mechanized my sculptures, so they can function on their own, kind of steam robots. And I think that I am slowly but surely will achieve this goal.
Indiefonica: If you can fart like a flamethrower, whose house would you fart at?
Johann Gosselet: If I could launch a fart flame I would use it to build ...
More Info:
http://joh-metal.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jOhsculptOr
