sculptures Mathieu nab
frank Brandwijk pictures
SCULPTURES Mathieu Nab
Preface | Life fascinates me, beautiful things enthral me and my work bears witness to the joy and fascination I feel. I express that feeling of wonderment and breathtaking amazement for the beauty of life through my sculptures and I wish to awaken it in others. Art is a way of life, a passion. Marble, wood, stone. I sense the lixfe within, it excites me and I yearn to release it. I surrender to the feeling bubbling up inside me and begin to carve, sometimes with no advance plan, sometimes knowing exactly what it is to become. I work directly in the material, gradually carving away more and more material with each push of the chisel. I forget the world around me, totally absorbed and at one with the form taking shape in my hands. The female form intrigues me and my first works were of reclining and standing female figures. I now sculpt heads in which form has been reduced. The straight line of the nose contrasts with the rhythmical movement of the hair, a symphony of flat planes and waving lines. At the same time, the head is not entirely abstract as it has an all-seeing eye, which gives it presence, energy. I aim to create universal likeness, not individual image. I am looking for direct contact, the link to life. I love to carve and I enjoy working with robust materials. I need resistance, something that tempers my impatience. Stone links me to the earth. In Bijoux I carved two figures in a riverbed, a couple embracing. The stone was hard, the water cold and my hands bled. An invigorating experience. Setting free the inherent beauty of the stone is a time-consuming but utterly rewarding experience and if I lived in a warmer climate I might only work in marble. In Portugal, Rosa Aurora, a veined, pink marble is cut straight out of the mountain. From this wonderful stone I carved a beautiful horse’s head that took form as I worked.
Unlike stone and marble, wood imparts a warmth, depth and richness. The discovery of a set of oak beams from a 16th century monastery set me on a new course. Inspired, I carved a self-portrait from one of those beams, wondering, while chiselling away, how long ago the oak tree, now my beam, had been planted. My fervour ignited, I created my two-horse sculpture at the Water Tower Complex in Amsterdam from Padauk, a tropical hardwood from West Africa. Working with wood fills me with joy and grief. Grief that the rainforests are being ravaged, and joy for the beauty it gives us. I wish my sculptures to tell their tale. I do not want to limit the viewer’s imagination with my interpretation and I do not want to be bound by explanations. People always want words but some things cannot be explained. Some things you simply have to feel. The essence, my essence, is freedom. To work, to live, to love without fear. I do not need to distinguish myself as a person, what matters is the expressive power of my images, they must have immediate impact, the viewer must sense their meaning. Mathieu Nab | Amsterdam, june 2010
Frank Brandwijk
PICTURES
Preface | This book is my photographic composition of Mathieu’s sculptures. I have known him for many years and the idea for this book was formed whilst sharing the same studio. It is a joint work born out of personal and professional respect. Photography is my passion and since graduating in 1985 from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, I feel privileged to be able to earn my living doing what I love. My mind constantly forms photographic images of everything I see. Through my lens I want to share beauty by capturing it in a compelling photograph that will uplift the soul and awaken a feeling of awe in the viewer. If I can do this with my work, I am content. Seeing with a camera goes beyond simply looking. It is a journey of discovery and understanding. My aim is to create a striking and original image. I am especially drawn to organic forms, such as, a woman’s body or plant life. Revealing special images from a world of shapes, forms and textures is a challenge. I love to build, to create something out of nothing, and will work tirelessly until I have that perfect picture. This dedication and attention to detail explains my fondness for stills. Mathieu’s sculptures grace the city of Amsterdam and other parts of the Netherlands. It was interesting to see where and how people had positioned a particular sculpture, which sometimes weighed hundreds of kilos. In my quest for the perfect picture, and as I could not move the sculptures because of their great weight, I often returned to the subject several times photographing it from different perspectives. The lighting and time of day was crucial. For one photo I needed sunlight, for another twilight. To capture the most intriguing, emotive and inspiring angle I needed to sometimes crouch low to the ground or climb high on a ladder. One sculpture was shown to its full advantage in a summer setting, while another needed snow.
The ‘good old days’ when I spent hours with my hands in chemicals and long nights in the darkroom creating the best possible photo prints are long gone. That technique is outdated and the necessary materials are increasingly difficult to come by. Based on a longing for the artistry and craftsmanship of bygone days coupled with my fascination for the technique used in Lith printing, which is an ancient English printing method that I came across whilst working as a photographer in London, I digitally transformed some of the photos in this book using this exact method. I admire Mathieu. His work is fascinating especially because it leaves a lot to the viewer’s imagination. Working with him during the making of our book was a rewarding experience. I invite you to view my interpretation of Mathieu’s work and hope you enjoy the images. Frank Brandwijk | Amsterdam, december 2010
overview | Information about the work
horse 2008 Oostzaan Azobé wood 176 cm (h)
head 2008
standing figure 1993 Oegstgeest Azobé wood 380 cm (h)
SPANISH BENCH 1999 Bench
Kopf 2000
tete 1993
Noordwijk Collection artist Rose aurora 270 cm (h)
Bergen Bronze 180 cm (h)
Kariatide 1996
curly head 2001
Geldermalsen Marble 320 cm (h)
Amsterdam Bilinga 140 cm (h)
Bergen Azobé wood 180 cm (h) painting burnt steel, pigments
Azobé wood 201,5 cm (l) 60 cm (h) 55 cm (d)
head 2004
head 1999
Thinking 1997
bridge 1999
Loenen a/d Vecht Azobé wood, black granit 180 cm (h)
Bergen Azobé wood, bluestone 210 cm (h)
Geldermalsen Marble 330 cm (h)
Amsterdam Padoek 510 cm (l)
gold head 2004
dream horse 2000
black head 2002
bridge 1999
Azobé wood Gold leaf gilded 42 cm (h)
Amsterdam Rose aurora total height 170 cm (h)
Amsterdam Padoek, granite 170 cm (h)
Amsterdam Padoek 510 cm (l)
head 2003
standing figure 1993
goldhead 2008
circulo 1 2009
Amsterdam Oak, goldplated gilded 180 cm (h)
Amsterdam Azobé wood 160 cm (h)
fruit off the loom 2008
standing circel 2009
Collection artist Oak, goldplated
Rotterdam Azobé wood 150 cm (h)
Amsterdam Azobé wood 160 cm (h)
Amsterdam Euville 140 cm (h)
amphora 1996
portrait 1994
Entrance Park Endegeest Beauval 320 cm (h)
Bloemendaal Azobé wood, aurora marble 220 cm (h)
Wall piece 1 2009
Thought 2008/2009
Black head 2008
benches 2003
Rotterdam Azobé wood 150 cm (h)
Amsterdam Bilinga 90 cm (h)
Weert Azobé wood 80 cm (h)
Groenlo Granite 100 cm (w) each
octopussy 2010
standing head 2008
Head 2008
waiters 1996
Amsterdam Collection artist Azobé wood 170 cm (w)
Azobé wood 190 cm (h)
Amsterdam harbour Padoek, black granite 170 cm (h)
Groenlo Azobé wood, bluestone 350 cm (h)
Bench 2010
koppen 1995
Hearing 2002
Spfinx 2000
Azobé wood Collection artist
Azobé wood
Amsterdam Afcelia 55 cm (h)
Oegstgeest Marble 320 cm (h)
chickens are worried 2010
Flower head 2008
figure 1988
kariatide 1994
Amsterdam Collection artist Azobé wood 128 cm (h)
Amsterdam Collection artist Oak wood
Amsterdam Rose aurora 220 cm (h)
headlines 2007
on the beach 2005
Thinking 2000
Amsterdam Azobé wood, blue stone
Bilinga
Azobé wood 210 cm (h)
2 portraits 1995
head 2007
The beginning 1990
Silent head 2002-2008
Bloemendaal Basreolocus 200 cm (h) incl. basement
Amsterdam Azobé wood
Amstelveen Marble 270 cm (l)
Kotte Azobé wood, hardstone
rolling forms 2009
Bench 2009
circulo 2009
Collection artist Azobé wood 145 cm (h)
Rotterdam Bilinga 250 cm
Horse 1998 [for children to play]
Amsterdam Collection artist Azobé wood 90 cm (h)
lean on me 2010 Bench Amsterdam Collection artist Azobé wood 200 cm (l) 65 cm (h)
Amsterdam GW L padoek, more then life-size
Amsterdam Artist collection Azobé wood 152 cm (h)
O Editions Sculptures: Mathieu Nab - www.ateliernab.nl Pictures: Frank Brandwijk - www.frankbrandwijk.nl Photo ‘Portrait Mathieu’: Miep Jukkema - www.miepjukkema.nl Graphic Design: Michael Kolf - www.picadia.nl Printing: Lecturis - www.lecturis.nl © 2011 by Mathieu Nab / Frank Brandwijk / all rights reserved