The works of sculptor Gil Bruvel seem to be both modern craft movement and craft movement at the same time. They are composed of hundreds of parts; complex, but when observing distances, the distance is smooth and cohesive. We ask the artist to delve into his process, the subject matter, and his background as an artist.
High Fructose: Your sculpture evokes pixels, but uses materials such as wood (such as…) to have a tactile, natural feel.
Gil Bruvel: I’ve been attracted to wood for many of the same reasons you mentioned. In addition to its tactile quality and organic warmth, Wood also carries elements of intrinsic growth and time. The rings, grains and branch structures all tell a story – a story connected to the microscopic and huge cosmic scales.
The details and variations of each piece seem to be infinite, but they are combined together as a whole. It reminds me of the galaxy, space, small and overwhelming things…
Exactly. The concept of infinity, both micro and macro, deeply inspired my work. The wood itself remains directly related between these two scales. When we look at it with the naked eye, we see its growth ring, marking time in a tangible way. These patterns remind us of the passage of time and somehow reflect the structure of the universe—the branching patterns of trees echo the huge filaments of galaxies.
Meanwhile, when I cut a board into sticks of different sizes and assembled it into the face, the visible ring produces a quarter, half or full circular pattern. When stacked together, these organic patterns form an abstract, almost random texture. To me, it represents how we view time – it is not fixed, but changes according to our mindset. The way of fragmentation illustrates the interconnection of all things, from the smallest honeycomb structure to the huge and unknowable universe.
I noticed “missing” in some areas. The smooth surfaces are broken down by their deletion, creating tiny shadows. I think your work wouldn’t have the same effect without these biases… The “flaws” seem to make the sculpture more realistic to me…
I think these “imperfections” are profound metaphors for our own human beings. They are not flaws, but intentional choices that are related to the ephemeral and unpredictable nature of life. When a missing or smooth surface is interrupted by tiny shadows, it reflects the gaps and breakages we all experience – moments of vulnerability and change that ultimately affect us.
In my work, these biases create a dialogue between something that is complete and what remains open, inviting us to admit that perfection is not the true nature of our existence. Instead, it is in the case of discovering the irregularities and unexpected absence of truly beautiful things. They remind us that our lives blend light and shadow, certainty and ambiguity, and each “imperfect” moment contributes to our ongoing narrative.
The face of meditation and its intentional destruction are like the anchor point now. They take our stream of life into authenticity rather than idealized attitudes. By embracing inherent imperfections, I hope to encourage a mindset that even every experience we see, even experiences marked by absence or deviation, provides us with endless possibilities to grow, transform and show a more positive, more authentic lifestyle.
These missing elements are intentionally absent from my sculptures to reflect the nature of impermanence. They respond to the natural world, nothing can remain static – Wood age, element wears, and every moment transitions to the next. By intentionally creating a gap, I invite the audience to think what is missing is as important as it is now.
In our lives we often focus on tangible, but it is short, short moments (slide away), thus defining our experience. These blank spaces remind us that impermanence is not a defect, but an indispensable part of the beauty of existence. They encourage us to appreciate the present and find beauty in the process of continuous change, rather than being in a perfect static state.
The way of fragmentation illustrates the interconnection of all things, from the smallest honeycomb structure to the huge and unknowable universe.
