Born: 1977
Hometown: Ventura
Based in: Arnhem, Netherlands
Andrew Clausen (U.S.A., 1977) began his artistic training in the cooperative studios of Art City in Southern California. From there he traveled to Italy where for 13 years he worked alongside master artisans and developed his craft into a combination of conceptual ideas and refined use of materials. Cast concrete, metals, and 3-D printed composite materials are his primary mediums which are used to form works that span between minimalist thought-provoking objects to engaging fabrications. He currently lives and works in the city of Arnhem, Netherlands.
His current work applies the ingenuity of contemporary construction and engineering techniques to produce delicate works that have an atmosphere of stillness and material honesty. Cast concrete serves as a matrix for compositions that include canvas, resins, graphite, and 3D-printed composite polymers. His unique process, which begins in the realm of 2-dimensional graphical design, is transformed, through digital fabrication, into subtle relief patterns that are echoed onto the concrete surface. The alchemy of the curing concrete is the last step in the process which solidifies the combination of materials into a minimalistic, yet technically complex work which straddles between painting and sculpture. His visual language draws from the geometric forms found in industrial environments, machinery, and architecture.
"“For me every work is a technical challenge, and a combination of the high and low-tech. Tuning materials to your aesthetic vision, is for me the craft of the artist.”"
What inspires you?
Architectural spaces, industrial ruins, mechanical engineering, and urban infrastructure.
Describe your creative process.
Through vector and 3D modelling, I translate photographic images of subjects that I find engaging, into solid 3 -dimensional sculptural works .
What are 3 words that best describe your work?
Innovative, conceptual, and detailed.
Who are some artists that have influenced your work?
Caio Fonseca, Giuseppe Uncini, Nicolas Bertoux
What is the most important tool when creating your work?
My Stanley knife and a fresh blade.
What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
When struggling with a difficult piece, spend 15 minutes looking at it fresh in the morning and ask yourself "What doesn't work?". And usually you'll find the way to proceed.
Where do you go for inspiration?
I look for the "unseen". Hidden architectural details, textures found amongst construction materials, and silhouettes formed by intersecting structures and mechanical elements.