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

The Art of Dolce Paganne

I can't even begin to think about how Dolce Paganne comes up with any of the shit she creates. I do know I'm hooked and can't stop looking at her drawings. Taking influence from Asian horror comic books, occult history and ancient mythology, the Antwerp-based artist makes her own "sinister" universe which expands with each new piece.  Also known as Ceren Aksungur, Dolce has a vast catalog of different media to view on her website and Instagram, so if you like what you see below, check out the rest of it here and here .

This Filipina artist draws with thread

I love it when I procrastinate online and discover someone's work that really catches my attention. Filipina artist Eugenia Alcaide captures her subjects by sewing their impressions on silkscreens. Though created with black cotton thread, the lines look like intricate sketches of graphite with 3D feel. They're captivating, and I wish there was a video to go with these to see how she plots each piece from start to finish.  Ginny began using thread in 2006 while doing her thesis for her degree in Fine Arts, major in Painting, at the University of the Philippines. One of Artinformal's most revered artists, her first exhibit in the gallery was in 2012, and since then she has gone on to display her work in various local and international art fairs. Her unique ability to create three-dimensional portraits by stretching and draping threads to form sculptural drawings has earned her much acclaim. You can check out more of Ginny's work here .

Eric van Straaten's 3D-Printed Statuettes

I can't remember when I first became entranced with Eric van Straaten 's 3D-printed sculptures. I think I stumbled onto his work through tumblr when I was searching for new artists to follow. Eric's attention to detail is pretty amazing, and the image of the eroticized child-woman is familiar throughout his work. Most of his hyper surreal pieces are 3D-printed in sandstone material, which are created by laying down a thin layer of gypsum powder and using a binding agent and color inks to print a pattern onto it. Once the entire model is printed, it is withdrawn from the print bed and the excess powder is removed. The model is then sealed and ready for display. "I think that the girls I create in my work are visualizations of my own feelings, fantasies and thoughts," the Dutch artist explains. "The girls actually look like someone I (used to) know and the different ‘portraits’ tell something about what I think of myself in regards to her or women ...