Samuel de Gunzburg
“With my sculptural work, the vase is presented as a ruin, an ancient robust artefact. But they are representations of the historical vase rather than trying to work as the object itself: they do not and cannot function as vases, they are scened ruins.”
Interview by: Issey Scott
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? Where did you study?
I was born in Paris in 1995, and moved with my family to London in 2005. Fast-forward 13 years later, I recently graduated with a BA in Fine Art from City & Guilds of London Art School, I also did my Foundation in Art & Design there.
Where does your fascination with the motif of the vase stem from? Was it a domestic influence that you had at home or was it the historical and archaeological context that really brought the object(s) to life for you?
I think it’s a combination of both, what attracted me towards this object is its omnipresence, whether it is in a domestic setting or historical, institutional spaces. Since the 18th century western archaeologists have put trust in the vase for their research, it is used as a constant proof of information on past civilisations, certainly because the vessel has accompanied the human race since its most primitive times. They are sometimes so relevant in highlighting a particular civilisation’s visual style that we can reconstitute a large part of history of art and ornamentation with the vase only.
What would you like to add to the historical or social narrative of vases as domestic objects by abstracting their forms in your painting work?
It all starts from the sculptures. With my sculptural work, the vase is presented as a ruin, an ancient robust artefact. But they are representations of the historical vase rather than trying to work as the object itself: they do not and cannot function as vases, they are scened ruins. Just like the historical vase, they look like vases but cannot be used as vases, only its visual form remains. Then the paintings derive from the fragmented and simplified silhouette aspect of the sculptures, where they are made with different little pieces of texture and ornamentation that are then put together into one single form, that’s my way of symbolising the in-temporality and omnipresence of the vase since the start of our human times.
'Hybrid #2' - Alkyd, oil and pencil on paper - 200 x 170 cm - 2018
'Hybrid #1' - Acrylic, alkyd, graphite and pencil on canvas - 200 x 157 cm - 2018
‘Mix 1' - Pencil on handmade cotton rag paper - 18 x 14 cm - 2017
'Mix 4' - Pencil on handmade cotton rag paper - 17,5 x 13 cm - 2017
You speak of how vases in the museum setting have inspired you to make art; are there any particular institutional examples where they have been curated in an interesting or different way?
Like discussed in the previous answer, the initial function of the historical vase is an important point I am dealing with in the sculptures. Generally speaking the vases in a museum’s permanent collection are also often mixed together even if they come from different times and civilisations, but on a wider physical scale these different eras are all placed in one single physical structure whether they are in the same room or not. That is mainly what generated in me the intention to make work by mixing and matching different sources in my sculptures and paintings.
Tell us a bit about how you spend your day / studio routine? What is your studio like?
Normally I work in the night, but I’ve only come back to this routine recently because this was not possible at the time I did my BA, the school studio’s were unfortunately not open at night. In the studio I usually try to concentrate on both sculptures and paintings at the same time, to help them feed off another. It is a very messy place, I don’t clean too much so its getting quite hard to walk 2 meters straight, I’m sure it will improve though!
'Emulation; Ruins, Vases & Fragments' - Bronze, steel, glass & rubber - 205.5 x 160 x 35 cm - 2018
'Vase' - Cement and diamond dust - 28 x 35 x 17 cm - 2017
'Ruin' - Cement - 24 x 16 x 16 cm - 2017
What artwork have you seen recently that has resonated with you?
The latest work that shook me was the light show set-up for Justice’s 3rd live tour ‘Woman Worldwide’, made with Matthias Leullier. The combination of the light show and the music was unbelievable, I had never seen such subtle yet powerful light show at a concert, the live album is so good they got nominated for the 2019 Best Dance Electronica Album of the year!! The french duo said that they felt like they were in a box during their two predeceasing shows and that this helped them to add space and air in their live setup.
Is there anything new and exciting in the pipeline you would like to tell us about?
There are few possibilities for upcoming solo shows and group shows in 2019 but no dates have been pencilled in at the moment so I will make the information public as soon as it is confirmed. Apart from that I am currently looking to acquire a warehouse space, in which studio’s will be made where can invite artists to work. It could also function as a viewing space for independent curators.
All images are courtesy of the artist
Date of publication: 21/01/19
