Bjørn Skaarup: Spotlight Interview

In a follow-up to Bjørn Skaarup’s exhibition Un Bestiario in Bronzo – A Bestiary in Bronze, I interviewed Skaarup to discuss his inspirations, his process, and his thoughts on the artistic space.

Bestiaries are basically ancient stories and knowledge about animals, and date back centuries or even millennia. It’s a wonderfully curious and whimsical genre; I have always loved these accounts of different animals, their alleged traits and behavior, which were once considered state of the art knowledge about the natural world.

In the little town where I grew up, I started drawing and sculpting at a very early age. My father was an archaeologist, and my mother was a music teacher so, my childhood life and home were full of quaint and old objects, instruments etc., which have probably inspired me since.

I spend most of my working hours sculpting maquettes and smaller works in clay, which I can do almost anywhere, even at home. When it comes to sculpting larger pieces (some of which up to 2-5 tons), I make them on site at the foundry.

It’s a fantastic feeling to create something out of nothing. Many world mythologies have stories about how the first humans were sculpted in clay. Still today where is no more precise and flexible material when it comes to imitating the natural world or designing fantastical shapes in three dimensions. Even now in the 21^st century the maquettes and exterior design of luxury cars, furniture, etc. are still created by a clay modeler.

In the choice of materials and motives, I am equally inspired by old and modern masters. In my own bestiary I’ve tried to fuse some of the technical mastery of late renaissance bronzes with the dynamism of illustration and animation art of the last two centuries. I like my sculptural forms in clay and bronze to be as light and dynamic as possible while at the same time respecting the nature and limits of the materials. 

I guess my Hippo Ballerina sculpture is a good example of the fusion of old and modern masters mentioned earlier. It is obviously inspired by the only sculpture ever exhibited by Edgar Degas during his lifetime, the Little Dancer of Fourteen Years from 1880 and by the dancing hippos from Walt Disney’s animation masterpiece Fantasia from 1940. Disney’s iconic dancing hippos and alligators were themselves inspired by the late nineteenth-century German illustrator Heinrich Kley whose works I adore.

I consider myself as much a historian as an artist and have always looked for new ways to combine both interests. While doing so, I’ve written and illustrated a number of books about history, archaeology, zoology and anatomy. During my academic studies I worked as an illustrator at The National Museum of Denmark and later as the first Danish sculptor engaged in facial reconstruction in the Department of Forensic Anthropology.

I love public installations of my works and have been lucky to show them in a number of prominent and historical locations. The same sculptures can change character completely depending on new placement and context; whether they’re put in front of Grand Central Terminal in New York City, in a Danish renaissance castle, or in a Venetian garden. Occasionally I have seen some of my works displayed in the homes and gardens of their new owners, which is always a great and very uplifting experience.

I like it when art is extremely communicative and multi-layered and can be appreciated by a broad audience. Even when I represent rather esoteric classical themes and allegories I prefer to do so with a light and humorous touch.

Without being too immersed in modern art theory, there have been numerous references in recent years to the emergence of a “post-human art” following the gradual decline of anthropocentric classicism. I feel that in this current Zeitgeist I can communicate both ancient and modern themes and motives better with animalier art; I often find that an audience perhaps already accustomed to fables and cartoons find it easier to relate to subjects from the niches of the classical tradition when presented by whimsical animals.    

The concept of bestiaries has evolved over time, with different cultures interpreting mythical and real creatures uniquely. How do you see the role of bestiaries evolving in contemporary art, and what do you envision for the future of your bestiary-themed work?

The original classical and medieval bestiaries represent a bottomless treasury of anecdotes and imagery about real and imaginary animals while at times offering moral lessons as well. One of my favorite contemporary artists, Walton Ford has re-interpreted some of these ancient stories, such as the one about how to confuse a crouching tiger by throwing a crystal ball in front of it. A related future project of mine is to represent the Seven Deadly Sins with the animals historically associated with each. The bestiary tradition is so rich that it will take a lifetime to uncover its many fables and allegories and once again make them relevant for a contemporary audience.