Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/890548
maltatoday SUNDAY 22 OCTOBER 2017 31 This Week ANIMA will be on display at Razzett tal-Markiz Vella Tabone, Wied il-Ghasel Road, Mosta until November 4. Opening hours are 18:00 to 20:00 (Monday to Saturday) and 10:00 to 12:00 (Sunday). Cover image: 'Damnation or Salvation 2017' by Jennings Falzon Refashioning the traditional idiom What would you say were some of the most important steps in your development as an artist, and how did you get to where you are today? From my childhood, the passion for art was always my primary in- terest and I was always fascinated how one can create a work of art by any kind of material. I think to be an artist is like a "calling" – it is something that you are born with and you have to decide if you'd like to respond this calling or not. I did want to work by learning and improve more these goals, hence why I joined MCAST with a pri- mary focus on Fine Art. Although I believe that the institute did help me in my studies, I think it was de- termination and constant hours of trial-and-error that got me where I am today. And what would you say makes up the bulk of your artistic projects on a day-to-day basis? It depends on what my clients request, but apart from paintings and restorations, I mainly work on three-dimensional structures which convey traditional and cul- tural aspects, even other specific contemporary structures. What are some of the advantages of working with recycled, or 'found' materials? I work with a vast selection of ma- terials, but most of the work I create is manufactured with recycled ma- terials. So I calculate the costs more in terms of the time it takes me to gather everything up and put it to- gether, rather than any money I may spend purchasing the material. How would you describe ANIMA, and how would you say it fits into your previous work? Going by the dictionary definition, 'ANIMA' (soul life) is the uncon- scious part of your mind that works automatically, without introspec- tion or awareness. It reflects your character, thoughts and feelings. Many people believe that your soul continues existing after your body is dead. ANIMA continues on from my previous work since the element of figurative representation is still quite strong, while it also weaves in autobiographical elements. Could you give us some detail on the works themselves? The work often draws from dra- matic and allegorical influences from the Greek mythology and clas- sical sculpture by the old masters from the 16th and 17th century. But throughout ANIMA one will also find references to The Divine Com- edy – the landmark 14th century epic poem by by Dante Alighieri. What kind of theme do they express, and what led you to focus on this theme for this particular exhibition? The main themes are spirituality, hope, redemption, life, death and afterlife. My aim was to explore a myriad of emotions through the use of symbolic devices, as well as – of course – the varied materials employed for the sculptures them- selves. And what kind of material did you use to make the works in question? For this exhibition, I mainly used mixed media: metal, resin, fab- ric, wood along with gold, copper, bronze and silver patinas. What do you make of the local arts scene? What would you change about it? There are various local artists I ad- mire, mainly because I see them be- ing innovative and forward-thinking in their work. This is what I'd like to see more of on the island. There's a large number of artists working in a strictly traditional mode... I'd like to see more of them break out of that and tap into what's current... and even grasp for the future! What's next for you? I'm already planning out my next exhibition. This is fairly standard for me; I like to plan ahead since there's always a lot work involved in getting an ex- hibition together – from the work itself down to securing a venue and taking care of pro- motion. Then, apart from my personal exhibitions, installa- tions and commissions, there's a lot of 'seasonal' work that needs seeing to and that I par- ticipate in on a regular basis. I'm involved in events like the Car- nival and my own local festa in Naxxar (mainly working on me- chanical structures for ground fireworks), Holy Week and Christmas installations at the Naxxar Band Club and festivals and markets like Zejt iz-Zejtun and Notte Bianca. So you could say that each season brings in a fresh bout of work, which tends to keep me busy all throughout the year. Mixed-media artist and sculptor Jennings Falzon speaks to TEODOR RELJIC about his latest exhibition ANIMA – another showcase of the young artist's striking use of mixed media to portray traditional subjects, this time drawing from Biblical iconography and Dante's Divine Comedy 'Leap of Faith' by Jennings Falzon 'Melancholy' by Jennings Falzon 'Dante 2017' by Jennings Falzon 'Plague of Magda' by Jennings Falzon