Interview by Adam Siemieńczyk
Biography of Richard Slee
Richard Slee (born 1973) is from Southend, Essex. Sculptor artist. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Norwich 1992-95. Participant of numerous group and individual exhibitions – Bristol, Essex, London, Fitzrovia, Islington, Wales. In 2019, he won the first prize at the London Contemporary Art gallery and a one-year contract. Decorated with the Barbara Jurkowska-Nawrocka Medal for cooperation in the field of poetry.
Q:Tell us about your creative process.
A:When I get an idea for a sculpture, I don’t know how long time it will take to make. When I have a concept – I go for it. And if this vision is what I want, I will create it no matter what effort I have to put in. Some ideas will require a more fluid approach, giving me a creative input that can change and influence the sculpture on a daily basis. Other concepts require a more rigid, end-to-end approach with no deviation.
I demand a lot from myself, but it works fine in the design.
I work with modular forms, stretching and transforming the properties of materials, and trying to create a unique building block for this artificial universe.
Multiple individual pieces come together to form multiple blocks which are then tessellated to represent a range of planetary forms.
I include everything that is challenging in the creative process. I love demanding forms, the size of the sculpture, materials: wood, acrylic, resin.
Q. What does poetry mean to you knowing that you are a sculptor?
A:Even if I am a sculptor, I also consider myself as a painter. It took me a while to find the language of artistic communication before I could define myself as a creator. Poetry is another language of communication between the artist and the recipient.
I think there are many elements that connect all arts. The similarities between the arts are something that has always interested me. So much that I get my inspiration and influence from jazz musicians, not sculptors. The African-futuristic musician and poet Sun Ra was asked in an interview “What inspires you?”. Sun Ra replied “planet, creator, mythical and true gods, people and flowers.” I feel that all art forms come from the same place within us, from the need to understand ourselves and the environment we live in – understanding of internal or external, from planet to flower. So being able to analyze and absorb another medium like poetry and translate it into a solid form was very interesting to me. I’m working on another project right now – a book immersed in resin.
Q. “Cat after cat” – working with a poem as an inspiration.
The image of a cat in the sculpture depicts a poet on her path in the new world she finds herself in. Branches represent all the choices this feline explorer will have to make in order to live a better life. She finds meaning in a dream, which attracts her to look for a New, as well as familiar. Both are equally important – New is hope and Familiar is her identity.
Q. What is immigration for you?
A:If it weren’t for the emigration – I wouldn’t be talking to you now, we probably wouldn’t have met.
I think it’s valuable that cultures mix, you can learn a lot from each other, from different perspectives. From a creative standpoint, immigration can only open up wider dialogue and ideas.
(Adam Siemieńczyk born in Poland.A Writer, Analyst, Poet and Painter; Member of Academy of Slavic Literature and Art in Bulgaria and France. His book Zakrzyki was awarded by UNESCO. Mr Adam was the prime organizer for the UNESCO world poetry days in London).
More Visuals of Richard Slee,
