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A philosophy of sculpture
Who are you?
My name is Tiago Rodrigues. I’m a Cape Town-based artist working mostly in sculpture. My parents emigrated from Portugal and I was born in SA. I completed my BAFA, majoring in sculpture at the Michaelis School of Fine Art in Cape Town in 2016, and since then I’ve been working as an artist. The emphasis placed on Catholicism in Portuguese culture has always influenced my work, whether it’s been an aesthetic or a conceptual reference. Recently it’s been leaning more towards an aesthetic influence; I don’t make that much work investigating Catholicism anymore. But the references are there if you’re willing to look for them.
What do you aim to communicate with your work?
I’ve moved through a couple of phases in my work, but for the past two years the focus has been a social commentary on existence in society. This sounds vague, and the concept of the human condition is broad, to say the least. The way society functions and how we exist inside (or outside) of that interests me. This involves an investigation into a disillusionment of the traditional values that have been imposed by society. We live in unstable times, and the boundaries that govern our lives are flawed. I’m interested in acts of transgression, and the effect they have on society.
Describe yourself in five words
This is difficult, so I’m going to have to be annoying and say: I ... Am ... Not ... Really ... Sure. That’s five words.
What made you decide to pursue a career as an artist?
I can’t recall what made me fall in love with sculpture. No-one really knows this, but I used to paint. I started working as a studio assistant for Stuart Bird in 2011 and working with him made me realise how broad the practice of sculpture can be if you are willing to push past the many traditional conceptions. Bird’s work and way of working had a monumental impact on me and my practice. If it wasn’t for the time I spent learning under him, I probably wouldn’t have ended up at Michaelis and put in the effort to pursue this career.
Who or what are your biggest influences now?
In the past two years I’ve been reading a lot on forms of anarchism, social disruption, decentralising society, and revolution. These philosophies and similar ideas are the point of departure for where my work is going. Although not so much an influence of collective aspects of these ideas, I’m more influenced by individuals and their personal disruption. These include William Godwin, Mikhail Bakunin, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Hannah Arendt, and others.
What do you like about being an artist? And dislike?
I suppose the freedom is something I like. I get to go into my studio and experiment with new things on a daily basis, which is great. What I dislike is the pressure and the uncertainty of it all. It’s difficult to stay positive at times, especially when your work doesn’t get the response or interest you were expecting. This career isn’t easy and I’ve ended up in some uncomfortable situations because of not managing my expectations or forgetting why I’m actually doing this.
What is your favourite part of the creative process?
Figuring things out. Most of the time I have a very loose idea of what it is I want to make, and the space between that idea and the actual work’s existence is filled with experimentation. Besides experimenting and figuring things out, finding the simplest ways to translate ideas is a part of the process that keeps me going through the challenges.
What materials do you prefer to work with, and why?
I’ve got some all-time favourites and this is evident in my work where I mostly use timber, steel and other rigid materials. I’m starting to incorporate some softer and more fragile materials. I’ve always been interested in the conversation between material and object — and the tension I can create between the two.
Any art-world trends that influence your work?
I try not to follow too much of what is going on with regards to trends. I’ve been in states where getting too obsessed with the happenings of other artists and the market have been detrimental on my own practice. It’s difficult not to compare your work, or actually the success of your work, with other artists. Staying close to what’s trending in the art world can have a negative influence on the work I make. It can make work insincere and forced, and I try to keep my work as sincere and honest to my experience as possible.
Whose art work would you love to own, and why?
Jake and Dinos Chapman, Paul McCarthy, Analia Saban — I’ll leave it at that as the list can go on for days. McCarthy’s critiques of a consumerism-driven society are important and a lot more complex than they seem. The large wooden sculptures from the “White Snow” series are incredible. All the work the Chapman brothers did to push the boundaries of what is deemed appropriate for the public to view is monumental. Saban’s pushing of material limitations, as well as how she incorporates scientific experimentation into art making, creates interesting results.
What are the challenges you face as an artist within the art world?
Sometimes I feel like the biggest challenge I face is to not get in my own way. Overthinking and overanalysing my work is counter productive and usually allows a lot of room for self doubt, and that’s a dangerous ingredient to add into my process. It’s difficult to remember your place in the art world, and the importance of artists in society — losing sight of that can be detrimental.