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THE QUEST OF BEAUTY IN ITS EVERY FACET BY PAOLO PUCK.
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Paolo Del Torro Puck – the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This famous sentence takes on new meaning while discovering the art works of Paolo Puck. In fact, more you stare at his whimsical creations mostly made of needle-felted wool, more the border between what conventionally can be considered as ugly is blurred to reveal fantasy-like, eye-catching objects. Paolo Puck belongs to the craftsmanship adept. Hardworking, self-taught sculptor is a nature lover. His creative universe draws inspiration from myths and fairytales. Paolo Puck work often includes elements influenced by early civilization art from the Bronze and Iron ages as well as classical Greek, ancient Roman, and Medieval artworks.
You graduated as a 2D illustrator and moved to a self-taught 3D sculptor. Do you think that an education is needed to become an artist to master, for example, certain technique or strong motivation and hard work would be enough?
I think all sorts of paths could lead someone to become a very accomplished artist. I can’t say my time at art school was a good thing for me. I was a bit of a mess, and my tutors considered me a lost cause early on. I became pretty disenfranchised and hardly showed up. I probably did about 3 life drawing classes and a couple of print classes.
The 6 years of my life after finishing my degree were very unstable. I wasn’t really able to make much artwork other than keeping sketchbooks. I was traveling from place to place a lot and working on farms. I eventually started whittling in my spare time, which was the start of my learning sculpture. That’s really the time I started to grow as an artist.
Meeting my partner was a big turning point for me too. She really supported what I was doing and loved my art. That was kind of a new thing for me, and things really blossomed from there.
As much as my art education wasn’t something I found helpful — and I feel like I got a lot more from learning by myself — I haven’t been put off seeking formal education. I’d really love to study sculpture.
For Harper, this artistic expression is a means of communicating his appreciation of femininity and challenging traditional norms. It is not about drag or performance; instead, he communicates through the act of making art. His passion stems from a longing to see Black figures occupy leading roles rather than being relegated to supporting characters. Growing up, he witnessed the success of his late grandfather, Paul Wynter, a two-time Mr. Universe, yet yearned for him to assume more prominent positions rather than the often assigned “helper” roles.
PJ Harper’s artistic journey exemplifies a celebration of Blackness and a powerful reimagining of traditional narratives. Through his sculptures and drawings, he reshapes perceptions, inspiring viewers to recognize and appreciate the strength and beauty inherent in Black individuals. With each creation, he sparks a conversation that transcends boundaries and connects people through the shared admiration for the divine qualities present in his art.
MY CLOSE FRIEND IS AN ARTIST WHO WORKS ALLOT WITH FELT. EVEN IF SHE HAS BEEN DOING IT SINCE YEARS AND HAS ACQUIRED A CERTAIN TECHNIQUE, HER HANDS ARE QUITE DAMAGED, IT’S A HARD LABOR. WHAT ABOUT YOU? HOW CHALLENGING IT IS TO CREATE HUGE SCULPTURES FOR PAOLO PUCK AND HOW MUCH TIME WOULD IT TAKE YOU TO CREATE ONE, AVERAGELY?
I used to work as a farm laborer, then as a construction worker, roofer, and carpenter, so those jobs were a bit rough on my hands too. The needle-felting of a big sculpture is extremely repetitive, but it’s not as high impact as some repetitive jobs I’ve had.
Plus, now I can take a break whenever I like, which helps. My shoulder does get sore sometimes though. The biggest felt sculpture took me about 8 months to complete, but I was mainly just working evenings and weekends on it.
When you describe the state of half-awaken/ half-dreaming in which some shapes and ideas come to you for your work, the method used by the surrealists comes to my mind. However, even if the process is similar, the outcome, to my opinion, is very different: I would not, if I may, identify your art as surrealistic. How did you discover this method, did you elaborate it or adopt from the above-mentioned art movement?
It was a natural discovery for me. I’m not sure how much the process comes across in my finished work, but it helps me imagine things. When you start to get the hang of staying in that state, you can sort of dip into it while awake too. I think my experiences with that practice would make some really interesting narratives. I’m not sure what form they’d take, but that’s something I want to explore in my art a lot more in the coming years.
RECENTLY WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ALLOT ABOUT THE RISE OF AI AND THE DANGER THAT MANY JOBS CAN DISAPPEAR AS REPLACED BY IT (LIKE US, THE JOURNALISTS)). WHAT DOES PAOLO PUCK THINKS ABOUT THIS VIRTUAL WORLD IN REGARDS WITH THE ART? DON’T YOU THINK THAT SOONER OR LATER THE PHYSICAL ART OBJECTS WILL BECOME OBSOLETE?
It’s so hard to predict what will come about from the rise of AI. I think there’s a good chance the internet as we know it now will disappear because it will be near impossible to differentiate between human and AI — both in content and in our interactions.
One outcome could be that we look for more authenticity in the real world — meaning physical art objects and experiences could become more sought after again. I think in a similar way to how it seemed like books might become obsolete, there will always be a desire to experience and own physical art. But it’s anyone’s guess how things will unfold. It seems like there are some wild times ahead, whatever route it takes. Us artists will just have to be as adaptable as ever.
In one of your interviews you mentioned that one of the biggest challenges for you as an artist was to monetise your art but that thanks to your partner and her support, you managed to change slightly the strategy and now it’s getting much better. Can you share with our audience, especially those creatives who are at the beginning of their journey, some tips of success as, probably, they are some algorithms or strategies to follow?
One of the biggest changes I made in the last few years is that I essentially gave up on showing in galleries. I honestly had no idea how I could make that work with my art. I take too long to make pieces, and galleries automatically take 50% of everything you sell. I think sculpture can be especially tricky to make money from because you generally have higher material and shipping costs too. Instead of selling one-off pieces in galleries, I now make an original sculpture and then sell editions of that sculpture directly to my audience on social media.
I found only one work of yours, ‘The Revelation’, which can be considered as politically engaged. What did inspire you to create it and have you made any other objects which can be interpreted with a message?
I made The Revelation in 2016, which was the beginning of a very tense time in the USA. That for sure was part of what inspired that sculpture. At the time I thought maybe it was a bit too on the nose, but I often struggle to predict the message people will take away from my work. That’s especially true with that particular piece. I don’t think many of my other pieces are so directly related to my environment. I did make a giant malformed golden head about a year into Covid, which I guess is in a similar category.
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF PAOLO PUCK'S PROJECT TO OPEN AN OPEN-AIR PARK WITH HIS SCULPTURES IN ITALY?
Well, we moved to Croatia, so the plan has changed a little along the way. It’s still my dream to make that happen, and it feels more possible here than anywhere I’ve lived before. Maybe there are a few projects I’d like to do with other people before I escape to somewhere remote and make sculptures for moss to grow on.
What are your creatives plans for the upcoming summer?
I have my first-ever residency in Slovenia at the end of May/beginning of June, so I’m really excited about that. Then I’m kind of at a crossroads. I’d like to learn something new, perhaps oil painting or animation. I’m not sure which yet. I’d also like to make a short folk horror movie too.
Paolo Del Toro Puck’s art-making story shows us the profound relationship between creativity, personal experience and human history. His quest for wonder in unconventional matters challenges us to push past the usual and find the unusual in the everyday. As he grows as an artist, seeking new forms and media, Paolo Puck tells us that the art is not about the finished work but about development and discovery.
He encourages discussion about the variety of artistic expression and makes not just art for himself but helps other people to appreciate what it means to see things through their own eyes and experiences. In an increasingly tech-enabled world, Paolo Puck’s emphasis on tactility is a stark reminder of the irreplaceability of human touch and creativity
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