Q. What inspired you to become an artist, and how did you first get started on your artistic journey?
I have always been a very curious and creative person. Even as a young child, I would dig and search for treasure in the garden, finding shards of pottery and fossils. I always felt very connected to the natural world and the beauty within it. Later, I was exposed to ceramics and started my journey into the 3-dimensional world.
Q. How have your travels around the world influenced your art and creative process?
Having been lucky enough to circumnavigate the globe numerous times, I have been inspired by the things that connect us as humans. The similarities and differences have inspired me and have been important in the creation of my work.
Q. Could you describe your process for creating large-scale sculptures in various mediums, such as steel, natural materials, ceramics, and snow?
I have worked with many different materials throughout my career, including natural materials such as Prairie grasses and snow, steel, marble, ceramics, and currently bronze. Creating large-scale sculptures is not for the faint-hearted. There are many factors to be considered, and it’s more of a fusion of architecture and engineering. Moving 10 1/2 tons of marble around in the studio can be a matter of life or death, but that makes it even more challenging and interesting.
Q. Can you share more about the concept and inspiration behind your collection “The Forms of Origin,” which explores the feminine divine, sacred geometry, and the story of life expressed in sculpture?
In “Forms of Origin,” I dug deep into myself and what it means to be a woman in this society, particularly as a woman of a certain age. Women are often dismissed and considered not very vital anymore after their childbearing years. In “Forms of Origin,” I wanted to express the power and beauty of all women, regardless of size, race, age, or economics. I wanted to show the universal essence of beauty in the curves, the sensuality in an elegant, graceful, and universal way, not in a sexualized trivial manner. Tapping into nature, natural cycles, and sacred geometry helped with the realization of these powerful, beautiful marble and bronze forms – soft and hard, hard beauty.
Q. How has your experience teaching at the university level informed or influenced your art practice?
When I taught at the university level, I found it very inspiring to inspire other creative minds and help them realize their creative potential. It’s powerful.
Q. Your work often integrates ethnographic styles and indigenous art forms. How do you approach incorporating these cultural elements respectfully and authentically in your art?
Part of the magic in visiting completely different cultures is that you start to see patterns and similar elements specific to the indigenous core of that culture. The various peoples and places, and of course always the thread of the natural world in which we all inhabit, helps inform and enrich my practice and visual language.
Q. How did you approach the challenge of bringing life, breath, and fluidity to rigid Carrara marble in your latest work, for which you personally obtained blocks from a Carrara quarry in Italy?
The challenges involved in working with large-scale, heavy pieces of marble are not for the faint-hearted. I travel to Carrara, Italy, and go directly to the quarries to collect and select my stones. I then transport these pieces back to my Spanish studio tucked away in the Catalonian hills and begin the long and challenging process of transforming these inanimate blocks into fluid, luminous, poetic forms. I use traditional stone carving tools – there is no quick way with marble.
Q. Can you share insights on your Spirit of Hathor sculpture, its concept, inspiration, and significance in your body of work?
I was very excited when I was asked to participate in the 2022 Art D’Egypte exhibition in front of the Great Pyramids of the Giza plateau. I wanted to honor this important sacred space, but I also wanted to not stray too far away from my DNA as an artist and my current body of work. I researched various Egyptian deities and connected with Hathor. She really represented every woman; she was a sky goddess; she was a consort of RA and Horus. She had the head of a cow and held the sun within her horns which would illuminate the great pyramids. I chose to use very masculine materials of Corten steel and marble and manipulate them in a very feminine way to create an abstraction of her essence. I think the significance of this piece within the journey of my body of work was important, the standout being the unique opportunity to place one of my pieces in front of one of the seven wonders of the world. Arguably, the pyramids are the most iconic and famous sculptures in the world! It was a very humbling experience, but I’m very proud of my piece and how it all came together. I felt the “Spirit of Hathor” smile and shine upon me.
Q. How do you balance the demands of running two studios in different parts of the world and juggling various projects simultaneously?
I enjoy the challenge of having two different studios in two completely different parts of the world – the majestic Teton Mountains and the stunning Catalan hills both give me the opportunity to be immersed within nature, which I love and find complete inspiration from both extraordinary settings. I’m lucky. A lot of my projects are all over the world, so I find myself tapping into my various communities and resources depending on where the project will end up and organizing my schedule and work location based on that.
Q. How does your artistic practice reflect your values and beliefs, such as your appreciation for diverse cultures and your connection to nature?
My artistic practice allows me to reflect on many things and aspects of life, love, and the pursuit of happiness! I love people, I love diversity, I love the diversity within various cultures, and especially within the natural world. It’s easy to be fueled as an artist and inspired by these connecting elements.
Q. How has your work been received in different countries and cultural contexts, and have you noticed any differences in how it is perceived or interpreted?
Art, to me, is a universal language. When you connect with this divine energy of oneness within the universe and translate that into physical objects, people, no matter what their spoken language is, can relate to that. Therein lies the magic, the challenge, and the drive to continue exploring this language.
Q. How do you see your art evolving in the future, and are there any new themes or mediums you are interested in exploring?
As I travel the path of my creative and sculptural journey, my only desire is to reach for a more profound connection with the voice within me. To continue to push the boundaries within the materials I’m using. My latest body of work that I am in the process of creating has a working title of “The Garden of the Universe”. Still thinking about the power of woman and the feminine divine, but moving to space slightly more mystical, reaching for the spirits – one hand stretched to the divine, the other grounded on the earth. I’m excited about this new direction.
Q. How does it feel to have your sculptures exhibited at the DIFC Sculpture Park in Dubai alongside other prestigious galleries and independent artists? What do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your art in this context?
I was truly honored to be invited by the Leila Heller Gallery to exhibit in this year’s exhibition. To be included in such a roster of world-renowned sculptors and respected galleries like Leila Heller is truly a dream. I hope that viewers will enjoy my piece, ‘Spirit of Hathor,’ as much as I enjoyed creating it.
Website: www.natalieclark.com
Instagram: @natalieclarkstudio