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 Paul Kaptein

Nedlands, Australia
Residency: October – November 2015

Project description:
The work I created during the 2015 residency was a continuation of my investigation into spatial and temporal disruption. The work was largely informed by rather long and uneasy feelings associated with jet jag upon my arrival in the US after nearly 52 hours without sleep. 

As my work has looked of differing temporal modes, the idea of jet lag — the way it confuses linear associations and seems to both compress and expand the body in unfamiliar ways became a compelling phenomena to explore through my practice of wood carving.

I was excited by the prospect of trying new and unfamiliar woods that are native to northern america as carveable woods are rare in my homeland of Australia. Basswood (Tilia) was the easiest to source and became the material for the 4 completed sculptures.

I took great comfort in the opportunity to work without interruption and relative seclusion as my enthusiasm for the projects developed.

The works themselves were made for an exhibition I’d arranged to be held in NYC at the end of the residency. As such the residency period didn’t allow much opportunity to experiment with ideas and materials, but was a perfect amount of time to develop and execute the finished works. The proximity of the accommodation to the studio space was very convenient and allowed me to maximise my time in the studio without any time wasted in commuting back and forth.

The opportunity to travel to Utica and be based in the US not only made it easier to have an exhibition in the US without the huge costs associated with shipping work internationally, but provided the opportunity to have my work in front of curators and collectors that would never have otherwise seen my work.

About the Artist:
Paul Kaptein is an Australian (Perth) based artist working primarily in sculpture and drawing. Graduating with an Advanced Diploma of Art and Design from the Claremont School of Art and a Bachelor of Fine Art from Curtin University, he is one of few artist to represent both schools in the annual graduate exhibition Hatched at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art in successive years.

Since 2012 he has principally worked with hand carved sculptural forms that in the process of making, resist immediacy and seek to collapse distinctions between ancient and contemporary practice.

In 2014 Kaptein won the prestigious Mandorla Art Award and the Mid West Art Prize in 2015.

His work can be found in the collections of the University of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University, New Norcia Museum Art Collection, City of Wanneroo and The Horn Collection as well as significant private national and international collections.