MARTIN BODILSEN KALDAHL

The fundamental existence of objects in space is brought into sharp focus in the work of Martin Bodilsen Kaldahl. Through his process he transforms everyday minimal phenomena into sculptural expressions utilizing a precise, formal fashioning of the material.With a keen eye for the monumental within the insignificant, his works emerge out of a process that creates conditions for an intuitive form.While Kaldahl works from an overall vision, he incorporates stumbling blocks into the actual construction of the works in order to relinquish control, allowing the form to evolve and thereby avoiding predictability.Akin to doodling, where consciousness is only partially present, he builds larger structures out of smaller bits of clay tubes which, at random, become a dancing sequence that moves up and down, almost reeling out into space.The use of strong, clear colors adds an insistent dynamism and energy to the works; this in tandem with the form’s own statement and potential to initiate emotion, manifest in a clear and easily decipherable expression that remains open to many different interpretations.

Kaldahl first trained as a potter in the 1970s. In 1988, he joined the Masters program at the Royal College of Art in London, where he graduated in 1990. He is a co-founder of the artist run exhibition platform, Copenhagen Ceramics (CC) launched in 2012. Kaldahl’s works are represented in several public and private collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, The Danish Museum of Art & Design in Copenhagen, The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo and Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris.