There is definitely no shortage of artistic talent in the world, particularly when you come across creations where beauty has been found in the most mundane objects. Who knew matchsticks could be so elegant? Burnt out, charred and discarded, matchsticks are not the most likely subject of an impressive art piece. The work and intricacy which is involved is mind blowing and will leave wondering how they could be so patient!
Creating a diverse portfolio of work whether it is sculptures, paintings, graphic design work or drawings, diversity, originality and consistency of quality are key. Let’s take a look at some of the artists behind these works and the techniques used to create sculptures from scratch.
Davis Mach
This Scottish sculptor is renowned for creating breathtaking art from common objects such as postcards, coat hangers and in this case match sticks. Using a colorful palette of match stick heads, David carefully constructs 3D sculptures of real life animals, famous icons and everyday people for his ‘match head series’. Examples include, 1930s cartoon pinup Betty Boop, Giraffe’s, Rhinos and more.
Kyle Bean
Brighton based designer, Kyle Bean is well known for using biodegradable materials such as egg shells, paper and cardboard. This time he transformed plain match sticks without the colour heads into dainty sculptures of insects and bugs. These aptly named stick insects were built from the simple materials of matchsticks and water-based glue. That’s it. The collection includes free standing and floating sculptures as well as framed moths, dragonflies, and butterflies. Kyle specialises in hand crafted models, set design and art direction.
Ryan and Trevor Oakes
Who says families can’t work together. Hailing from Colorado, twins Ryan and Trevor Oakes have debunked this idea by producing a collection of incredible art sculptures together. The two brothers are known to work together often, collaborating on everything from art installations to paintings. One of these ideas, was to take the humble match stick and glue layer upon layer together to form symmetrical shapes and create pieces of art you’d be more than happy to display in your home. The repetition of the match heads and consistent colour create organic, fluid shapes which form naturally when irregular widths are placed side by side.
Clare Fontaine
French artist Clare Fontaine created her artwork America (Burnt/Unburnt) in 2011 as part of the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art’s Time-Based Arts Festival. 50,000 green head match sticks were used to recreate the world map. Could you imagine how long this would have taken? Then imagine how quick it could all be lit up in flames, burning down in a matter of minutes, which is exactly what she did. All that time and effort for a couple of minutes of art symbolism.
By simply putting together your portfolio whether it be websites, graphic design or painting, taking a risk in your work, creating something original and being innovative really pays off, especially when making an artistic statement.
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