“Fathom the unreal and the dreamlike as well as the deepness of the unconsciousness”
You could say that carving is embedded in the DNA of artist Joachim Seitfudem, even Joachim himself feels that he had no other choice but to become an artist, his life steered in this direction, even when seeking other pursuits. The passion for his work and how he has leaned into his destiny can be seen in Joachim’s sincere interview below.
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Anatomie
Joachim Seitfudem was born in Bavaria, South Germany and currently resides in Bristol in the United Kingdom. It is no wonder Joachim holds many accolades and a strew of awards (In 2008 he was announced Winner of the Championship of Wood Sculpture in Southern Germany) since he began sculpting professionally at such a young age. His impressive education and background in his art can also attribute to his success in his craft and the many galleries and shows he participates in around the world. His sculptures are mostly mounted in deep, dark frames, which give the viewer a sense that the sculptures live in their own world, undisturbed by the goings on around them.
His works stimulate melancholic thoughts and show the viewer the importance of living in the now. As a viewer, your mind marvels at the complex scenes before you, so much going on and so much symbolism intertwined in the beautiful imaginativeness of Joachim’s work. If you’re viewing Joachim’s work due to wanting to start creating wood sculptures yourself, you could gain some helpful beginner tips from somewhere like tools specialist or similar websites that can help you in learning to master different tools when it comes to DIY or creative projects!
The Bloom
Tell us a little about your artistic background, and your first influences to be creative?
I grew up in an artistic family, my father is a master wood sculptor and my mother was a painter, so the influences started very early. I went to an artist / sculptor college when I was 17 years old and after that, I started an apprenticeship in my father’s atelier and worked there for a couple of years, but I never wanted to become an artist. When I was a teenager I wanted to be an archaeologist, then I wanted to be in the army, then I wanted to be a police officer and nothing worked. Being an artist is not a choice, you have to do it, it’s kind of a sickness that you have inside. This is what I think.
This kind of work demands some manipulation of nature. How much planning or preliminary thought goes into each sculpture? Is there a sketching element for the idea or do you let the “wood” speak to you?
First, I do a few drawings, then I make a model in clay and after that, I start carving. But it is hard to say how much time I put into each piece. Sometimes I have an idea and I work on it the same day and sometimes I draw in my sketchbook and start after a few years, and I’m always working on two or three pieces at once, because sometimes I feel that I am losing the focus on a figure and before that happens I am moving onto another. I really like the process. Quite often, I don’t want to finish the work. I have an idea at the beginning, but it changes all the time, even the material
