Artyczar
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Hi Everyone. Welcome to October! It's time for the Spotlight, and this time, we're going to do something a little different and feature one of our artist members who works heavily in sculpture. I don't know about you, but I'm crazy-inspired by him, his work, and the way his incredible brain works. I'm excited to get this interview up, as it seems like a long time coming.
You all know and love him as Hermes (Hermes2020), but his true name is André Scheffer—something I didn't know until very recently. It's been an honor to get to know André more these last weeks, and I'm certain you will find him further fascinating, too. So, I won't hesitate any longer. Here it is!
Can you start by telling us where you're from, where you've lived, and how you got started making art (and sculpture specifically)?
I was born in 1946 in a city called Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. My mother’s family were mainly of French and Dutch origin, while my father’s family were German Jews. I grew up in a secular environment, but identify strongly with Jewish cultural values. At school, I was equally interested in and did well in both the Arts and Sciences and was considering becoming an architect, which, in my mind, was a blend of those subjects. Rightly or wrongly, I was advised by a career guidance specialist to make a career in science, and that’s what I did.
I enrolled as a bachelor of science student at the local university, convinced that I wanted to become a physicist, but soon found that I got on much better with the people in the chemistry department, especially the organic chemists. Plus, I discovered that organic chemistry is just architecture at the molecular level and required the ability to think in 3D. It was just a natural fit for my personality profile, so I did the usual 4 degrees: BSc, BSC Honours, MSc, and the Ph.D. (doctorate in organic chemistry). Although I loved chemistry and was a good experimentalist, I kept up my interest in painting. Here I am with the beginnings of the painting called Hyperprism, which was inspired by a composition of the same name by Edgard Varese:
Hyperprism, oil on hardboard panel,1200 x 1200 mm.
During those years, while working hard on my doctoral research, I found the time to spend many hours doing ceramics at the local art school. Working with clay was wonderfully therapeutic, and I am convinced it helped to freshen my mind to deal with whatever series of experiments I was conducting in the chemistry lab at the time.
Coiled stoneware form. Height: 300 mm.
After I finished my doctorate, I did three years of post-doctoral research and lecturing at Chelsea College, London. As the fates would have it, the chemistry building was right next door to the Chelsea School of Art, where, much to the annoyance of my head of department, I spent as much time as I did working in the chemistry lab. At that time, I became friendly with the ceramist Barry Guppy and worked with him in his studio near the Tate for a few hours every week.
Stoneware. Height: 300 mm.
I met my ex-wife at Chelsea College, where she was working on her doctorate in chemistry. She was born in Lebanon, so after she finished her Ph.D., she had a study grant obligation to go back and lecture at a university in Beirut for three years. We both had posts at the same university (her alma mater). My lecturing load was quite light, so I managed to paint a lot during those three years. We often could not go out due to the political situation, so decided to leave when I was offered a post to manage an environmental laboratory in South Africa.
After that, I joined the training team of a multinational company that manufactures environmental and forensic chemistry analytical instruments, where I traveled internationally to give training sessions until I retired. After retirement, I decided to make Johannesburg my base since my ex started a very successful construction company here, and we are now as close as brother and sister. Her high-technology manufacturing equipment is very useful when I work on my projects.
Who are your artistic influences, and have they changed over the years?
The artists I admire have been quite constant since my early years. There are so many, but apart from the usual Old Masters and more recent suspects, I can name Eduardo Paolozzi (whom I was fortunate to meet in London), Antoni Tapies, Constantin Brancusi, Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, Igor Mitoraj, Ernest Trova, and so many others. It’s a bit like music, where I find it almost impossible to name favourite composers.
Which mediums do you work in most and why?
I don’t enjoy painting with acrylics; my favourite paints are the alkyd variants of artist’s oil paints. I like their fast drying and good glazing properties. I think I am a better sculptor than a painter, though. I like doing ceramic pieces, but since I don’t own a kiln now and want to make bigger pieces, I do all my sculptures in rapid-set concrete now. Of course, it is also a much more immediate medium than ceramics in that the elements I make are ready in a matter of hours.
Deformed Concrete Torus. Height: 600 mm.
Reclining Nude, concrete, width: 2000 mm.
I have experimented with concrete in paintings. Here is an example of one that echoes the dome of the contours in the Reclining Nude.
Untitled, stained concrete on hardboard, 400 x 400 mm. Thickness: 10 mm.
(I have posted many photos of my work in Creative Spark, so I will not duplicate any posts here. If anyone is interested, please use the search function to find more examples.)
Can you pick your favorite tool (or two) and tell us about it?
In spite of my age, I am very comfortable using software and computers. I think it is probably because I never had any formal art education that I am not in the habit of making preliminary sketches on paper with graphite or other mediums. Instead, I do almost 100% of my designs in Windows software. I have tried many programs over the years and have found that Rhino 3D is by far my favourite, followed by Poser and ZBrush for 3D designs. To process the RAW files from my Nikon D600 camera, I use ACDSee Photo Studio, which I prefer over Lightroom for a number of reasons.
I really love to share techniques and experiences, so if anyone has any questions about my procedures, I would be happy to elaborate.
How much time do you spend on making art?
Since I am retired, I probably spend at least 60% of my time working on art projects. Remember that the type of concrete sculptures I make require careful planning of the engineering details, so much of the time is spent working out the details in my software.
Do you have a philosophy regarding the art-making process (generally or yours)?
I don’t have a philosophy of art as such, let alone a definition of art. All I can say is that I am deeply moved by certain shapes and textures, often in what I call the micro landscape. I then try, in some of the stuff I make (I avoid talking about “my art”), to express my impressions so that others can perhaps see what I see. I suppose that, for want of a better word, is my philosophy.
Tell us about where you create. Do you have a room, studio, garage?
I use the living area of my apartment as a workspace. It is big enough at 5 x 14 m, for my purposes. In it, there are some large work tables, some on casters, my big music system, a sitting/reading area, as well as a dining table with four chairs. If I have to do some really dirty work, I do it at my daughter’s house.
Outside of art, what do you do for fun?
I like to read and listen to music, almost exclusively classical. Interior design and office planning is another hobby that has also brought in some extra income over the years, but I can go into that some other time. Lastly, like most people, I enjoy good food. There are a huge number of excellent restaurants in this city, with just about any type of food you can wish for.
What has been your most satisfying accomplishment, artistic or otherwise?
Academically, it was receiving a Ph.D. after eight years of study and research, although it must be admitted that I was not just dedicated to chemistry. I was quite prepared to give up chemistry to become a student at the Central School in London and was extremely proud to be accepted as a student in the sculpture department with Eduardo Paolozzi. The reason why I did not accept and did the chemistry post-doctoral post is a story for another time.
Another highlight was when I exhibited my Dream of Mexico painting at an Art School exhibition, and the staff voted me best artist on campus.
Dream of Mexico, oil on hardboard panel, 900 x 1200 mm.
Lastly, do you have a website and/or social media platform(s) you would like to promote?
No, I do not have a website. I don’t even have a Facebook account!
You all know and love him as Hermes (Hermes2020), but his true name is André Scheffer—something I didn't know until very recently. It's been an honor to get to know André more these last weeks, and I'm certain you will find him further fascinating, too. So, I won't hesitate any longer. Here it is!
Can you start by telling us where you're from, where you've lived, and how you got started making art (and sculpture specifically)?
I was born in 1946 in a city called Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. My mother’s family were mainly of French and Dutch origin, while my father’s family were German Jews. I grew up in a secular environment, but identify strongly with Jewish cultural values. At school, I was equally interested in and did well in both the Arts and Sciences and was considering becoming an architect, which, in my mind, was a blend of those subjects. Rightly or wrongly, I was advised by a career guidance specialist to make a career in science, and that’s what I did.
I enrolled as a bachelor of science student at the local university, convinced that I wanted to become a physicist, but soon found that I got on much better with the people in the chemistry department, especially the organic chemists. Plus, I discovered that organic chemistry is just architecture at the molecular level and required the ability to think in 3D. It was just a natural fit for my personality profile, so I did the usual 4 degrees: BSc, BSC Honours, MSc, and the Ph.D. (doctorate in organic chemistry). Although I loved chemistry and was a good experimentalist, I kept up my interest in painting. Here I am with the beginnings of the painting called Hyperprism, which was inspired by a composition of the same name by Edgard Varese:
Hyperprism, oil on hardboard panel,1200 x 1200 mm.
During those years, while working hard on my doctoral research, I found the time to spend many hours doing ceramics at the local art school. Working with clay was wonderfully therapeutic, and I am convinced it helped to freshen my mind to deal with whatever series of experiments I was conducting in the chemistry lab at the time.
Coiled stoneware form. Height: 300 mm.
After I finished my doctorate, I did three years of post-doctoral research and lecturing at Chelsea College, London. As the fates would have it, the chemistry building was right next door to the Chelsea School of Art, where, much to the annoyance of my head of department, I spent as much time as I did working in the chemistry lab. At that time, I became friendly with the ceramist Barry Guppy and worked with him in his studio near the Tate for a few hours every week.
Stoneware. Height: 300 mm.
I met my ex-wife at Chelsea College, where she was working on her doctorate in chemistry. She was born in Lebanon, so after she finished her Ph.D., she had a study grant obligation to go back and lecture at a university in Beirut for three years. We both had posts at the same university (her alma mater). My lecturing load was quite light, so I managed to paint a lot during those three years. We often could not go out due to the political situation, so decided to leave when I was offered a post to manage an environmental laboratory in South Africa.
After that, I joined the training team of a multinational company that manufactures environmental and forensic chemistry analytical instruments, where I traveled internationally to give training sessions until I retired. After retirement, I decided to make Johannesburg my base since my ex started a very successful construction company here, and we are now as close as brother and sister. Her high-technology manufacturing equipment is very useful when I work on my projects.
Who are your artistic influences, and have they changed over the years?
The artists I admire have been quite constant since my early years. There are so many, but apart from the usual Old Masters and more recent suspects, I can name Eduardo Paolozzi (whom I was fortunate to meet in London), Antoni Tapies, Constantin Brancusi, Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, Igor Mitoraj, Ernest Trova, and so many others. It’s a bit like music, where I find it almost impossible to name favourite composers.
Which mediums do you work in most and why?
I don’t enjoy painting with acrylics; my favourite paints are the alkyd variants of artist’s oil paints. I like their fast drying and good glazing properties. I think I am a better sculptor than a painter, though. I like doing ceramic pieces, but since I don’t own a kiln now and want to make bigger pieces, I do all my sculptures in rapid-set concrete now. Of course, it is also a much more immediate medium than ceramics in that the elements I make are ready in a matter of hours.
Deformed Concrete Torus. Height: 600 mm.
Reclining Nude, concrete, width: 2000 mm.
I have experimented with concrete in paintings. Here is an example of one that echoes the dome of the contours in the Reclining Nude.
Untitled, stained concrete on hardboard, 400 x 400 mm. Thickness: 10 mm.
(I have posted many photos of my work in Creative Spark, so I will not duplicate any posts here. If anyone is interested, please use the search function to find more examples.)
Can you pick your favorite tool (or two) and tell us about it?
In spite of my age, I am very comfortable using software and computers. I think it is probably because I never had any formal art education that I am not in the habit of making preliminary sketches on paper with graphite or other mediums. Instead, I do almost 100% of my designs in Windows software. I have tried many programs over the years and have found that Rhino 3D is by far my favourite, followed by Poser and ZBrush for 3D designs. To process the RAW files from my Nikon D600 camera, I use ACDSee Photo Studio, which I prefer over Lightroom for a number of reasons.
I really love to share techniques and experiences, so if anyone has any questions about my procedures, I would be happy to elaborate.
How much time do you spend on making art?
Since I am retired, I probably spend at least 60% of my time working on art projects. Remember that the type of concrete sculptures I make require careful planning of the engineering details, so much of the time is spent working out the details in my software.
Do you have a philosophy regarding the art-making process (generally or yours)?
I don’t have a philosophy of art as such, let alone a definition of art. All I can say is that I am deeply moved by certain shapes and textures, often in what I call the micro landscape. I then try, in some of the stuff I make (I avoid talking about “my art”), to express my impressions so that others can perhaps see what I see. I suppose that, for want of a better word, is my philosophy.
Tell us about where you create. Do you have a room, studio, garage?
I use the living area of my apartment as a workspace. It is big enough at 5 x 14 m, for my purposes. In it, there are some large work tables, some on casters, my big music system, a sitting/reading area, as well as a dining table with four chairs. If I have to do some really dirty work, I do it at my daughter’s house.
Outside of art, what do you do for fun?
I like to read and listen to music, almost exclusively classical. Interior design and office planning is another hobby that has also brought in some extra income over the years, but I can go into that some other time. Lastly, like most people, I enjoy good food. There are a huge number of excellent restaurants in this city, with just about any type of food you can wish for.
What has been your most satisfying accomplishment, artistic or otherwise?
Academically, it was receiving a Ph.D. after eight years of study and research, although it must be admitted that I was not just dedicated to chemistry. I was quite prepared to give up chemistry to become a student at the Central School in London and was extremely proud to be accepted as a student in the sculpture department with Eduardo Paolozzi. The reason why I did not accept and did the chemistry post-doctoral post is a story for another time.
Another highlight was when I exhibited my Dream of Mexico painting at an Art School exhibition, and the staff voted me best artist on campus.
Dream of Mexico, oil on hardboard panel, 900 x 1200 mm.
Lastly, do you have a website and/or social media platform(s) you would like to promote?
No, I do not have a website. I don’t even have a Facebook account!
