Sunday, May 9, 2010

A Visit with Andre Gandin


Andre calls himself an American industrial folk artist, after my visit with him I think he may be part wizard too. His studios, yes plural, are captivating in a very magical sort of way, and he thoroughly enjoys what he is doing, whether it be working with steel or sand casting. That exuberance about his work spills over to his creations without fail.


Andre gives new life to found objects and discarded metal in the form of sculpture for the home and garden. He also incorporates his sand castings in much of his work in intriguing ways.
The above pictures are at his metal working studio and below I've shared some images of his sand casting studio at another location. He says the casting is a more organic process for him and provides a refreshing change of pace. The gloves are an experiment, I can't wait to see what he comes up with!


And here is my latest and greatest acquisition from Andre's 'Goddess Series' an artful combination of sand casting and welded steel. She's just grand!!
He has managed to capture the sacred and mystical aspects of the feminine spirit here. It is in my garden for the photos, but I have since brought her inside, she's sitting on the mantel now. I may have to travel round the house and garden with her a bit to decide what she likes best.

In addition to the wee sampling I've shown you Andre creates very intriguing sand writers that have a wonderful calming effect when you're around them. You can see more of his work at his website http://www.andregandin.com/

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