Sweeping Steel Sculptures
Johannesburg-based artist Regardt van der Meulen creates amazing steel sculptures inspired by time, memory and mortality; metaphors for not only the vulnerability of one’s physical body but also one’s emotional and mental state. The artist is concerned with the ephemerality of human life, a fascination that manifests in his sweeping steel sculptures.
Fragmented and oversized, the works juxtapose the unyielding material with the movement inherent in the figures’ poses and the shapes of their garments. Branches, geometric pieces, and erosion interrupt the figures, serving as a metaphor for their mental and physical instability, as well as the precarious state of the natural world and civilization.
“ I am intrigued by not only the decay of human life but also the erosion of our surroundings. Through all stages of birth, growth, fruition and death the inevitable element of decay and mortality is present. People habitually live with a misled sense of security, the illusion that our environment or civilization is static.
Often times the dangers and violence of the current world we live in interrupts and the illusion of safety is exposed. I use steel as a medium which is usually associated with the impression of unmoving strength. I sculpt each figure in a way that creates the notion that they are incomplete, melting or being pulled apart, deconstructed by a force either from within or without.” – Regardt van der Meulen
About the Author:
Bruno Dursin – Managing Director at Believe in Steel. Bruno has more than 30 years of experience in promoting steel & steel solutions. His clients benefit from his extensive network within the building industry.
