Skip to main content

The Art of David Mach


David Mach has created some incredible art pieces using unusual media. Matchsticks, coat hangers, and playing cards are just some of the materials that the Scottish sculptor has used. I discovered his work in 2012 via Opera Gallery and instantly became a fan.


Let's face it, matchsticks are a technology that became useless the moment lighter was invented. Nobody knows why we continue manufacturing them; their only purpose right now is to aid people who don't have access to toothpicks and cotton buds. David, however, figured out a much more productive use for them.


He uses thousands of tiny matchsticks in each of his limited-edition art piece, and then sells them for about the same amount of money.


While a lot of artists make sculptures using conventional materials like stone, wood, clay, and plaster, others continue to push the artistic envelope. David has found an alternative use for all those coat hangers in our closets, by turning them into enormous life-like sculptures.






Here's my advice to all of the budding artists out there: use weird materials, like playing cards, and people might just notice you. But of course, don't actually use playing cards; it has already been done, so you'll have to come up with something better.


Good luck!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chinese vlogger Li Ziqi turns corn into a feast

Li Ziqi is a Chinese food and lifestyle vlogger whose videos about her rural life in Sichuan have attracted more than 6 million YouTube subscribers. In this clip, she turns corn into a feast. The dishes are shot professionally and edited stylishly to look like a mouthwatering slide show. WARNING: It's torture to watch the last three minutes of the video if you are on an empty stomach.

Hand-Painted Movie Posters by Tony Stella

In the 70s and 80s movie theaters in Manila were usually standalone buildings with nice seats and red curtains. To sell tickets, cinemas needed to advertise their offerings. But they did not have the original posters, or the means to print alternatives. So they made their own, commissioning local artists to hand-paint them. I really miss those hand-painted posters and billboards, which conveyed an artistry that was a form of visual hyperbole. But hand-made objects always have a way of returning. In this digital age, people will always look for things made by hand. I recently stumbled across the work of Tony Stella, whose genuinely cool movie posters have caught the eye of film enthusiasts and art lovers worldwide. He likes to work in watercolor and ink wash but sometimes he will make an oil painting, depending on the film. Tony's very active on social media, and his Tumblr blog contains a massive collection of illustrated movie posters that are often better than the original. ...

Japanese artist En Iwamura creates adorable ceramic sculptures

Kyoto-born artist En Iwamura is showing his latest ceramic creations in a special show on August 31 at the Ross+Kramer Gallery in East Hampton, New York. En's sculpted objects, which he describes as three-dimensional clay doodling, exudes nothing but good vibes with their quirky, playful style. He consciously uses childhood influences such as manga and anime, and draws inspiration from both American and Japanese historical and pop-cultural references along with his own life experiences. Born in 1988, En completed both his BFA and MFA in craft from Kanazawa College of Art and Craft in 2011 and 2013, respectively. His works have been shown in New York City, Seattle, Kansas City, Durham, NC, Japan, Canada, China and more. Thanks for the tip, Rachel.