• Original sculpture (copper, stone) • Certificate included • Dimensions: 22 x 17 x 5 cm • Year of creation: 2023 • Artist: Vladimir Rudolf
"At first glance, we can't be sure: When were these sculptures created, and where do they come from? Haven't we seen similar slender figures before in an ancient cave painting? They embody fundamental patterns of ascent, movement, and balance. On closer inspection, a strange suspicion arises: Is this perhaps art made of fused copper wires? If so, the historical reference disappears - because one has never seen anything like it before.
Indeed, the Munster-based artist Wladimir Rudolf works at the intersection of timeless form and innovative technique. His new series of works was created using rudimentary tools: a welding torch, a hammer, and pliers. Rudolf observes his object through the black lens of a protective mask as he heats it to 800 degrees Celsius. The copper wire then liquefies and becomes malleable. But the material is capricious; a residue always remains, resisting shaping. "Copper sometimes has better ideas than I do," says the artist, comparing the consideration of its fluidity to watercolor painting. The sculptures, approximately 30 cm in diameter, receive no brushstrokes; color effects areachieved through controlled oxidation.
Rudolf's copperwork knows no reproducible form (like traditional bronze casting), but only unique pieces. Respect for the material is a guiding principle of his work. The copper wires come from the landfill; through the artistic act, they are transformed into a new state. This hints at what Rudolf understands by "Modern Archaic": the sustainable use of resources, but also of art historical sources. Something ancient can thus suddenly become relevant (a phenomenon, incidentally, already attested to by the Impressionists in their reference to early cultures).
It's a nice touch that, despite a humble basic attitude, Vladimir Rudolf's artistic style remains distinctive: you recognize it like old friends, those tall contemporaries with their large feet – only, the last time you saw them, they were bigger and made of wood. Thus, the present copper works form a new chapter within an original body of work."
-Prof. Dr. Andi Schoon,Bern University of the Arts
