Sculptures Made from Suspended Sewing Buttons
Augusto Esquivel is an artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Represented by the Now Contemporary Art Gallery in Miami, Augusto’s work involves the use of thousands of carefully place, multi-coloured sewing buttons. On his website he describes his process:
“I am often obsessed with comparisons of reality and potential and the balance between them, in art: the idea of chaos in perfect order: an object seemingly solid to the eye can also be fragile and inconsistent to the touch; a common object used to create a piece of art becomes transformed into something complicated and intriguing.
I realize how insignificant and small a simple sewing button can be as it lays in my grandmother’s sewing box, but at the same time how unique and precious it can become as part of a work of art. Like an atom in a molecule, each button serves and shapes the whole. I hold the button to my ear and it whispers to me, ‘I want to be…'”
Below you will find a small sample of Esquivel’s wonderful artwork. Sprinkled throughout you will find some of Esquivel’s thoughts from a great interview he did with Vineri Handmade. For more, be sure to check out his gallery on his personal website and Now Contemporary Art.
[via Fubiz]
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What guided you to art? Was it a natural calling?
“Art was always present in my life. I didn’t feel any revelation or ‘natural’ call I think that is kind of a myth! You either make the decision to do art,or you don’t, and then you act accordingly. You have an urge to create, to paint, to sing, to act. I feel far from being a ‘call’. It is also a lot of hard work! Like any other job.”
[Source: Vineri Handmade – Interview with Augusto Esquivel]
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What’s your process like for a sculpture?
“I see an object that catches my attention, like a piano, for example and I do research on it. The dimensions, colors, number of black and white keys, different types. Then I create the acrylic where the strings are going to be hanged, then I drill the holes. Then I select the buttons, type and quantity (for the Piano I used 60 pounds of sewing buttons). Then I paint the buttons. To do that I have to display them very carefully one next to the other and then I use spray paint. After they dry I have to turn them over one by one and paint the other side. Then I thread them with monofilament and hang them. Is only then that I have to position every button in the right place to sculpt the object. It is a ridiculous amount of time! But I enjoy every minute of it!”
[Source: Vineri Handmade – Interview with Augusto Esquivel]
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