Pushing material limitations: A chat with Sculptors Sam Jacobs and David Millidge
Sculptor Sam Jacobs and Ceramicist David Millidge recently collaborated for an exhibition at London’s infamous Oxo Tower. Both internationally acclaimed artists stretch the realms of possibility with their tactile and intricate sculptures. Sam and David spoke about where they find their inspiration and how they’re pushing the limitations of the materials they work with.
As a finalist in the Emerging Woman Artist Award 2024, sculptor Sam Jacobs is one to watch. Sam’s self-supporting labyrinthine pieces are made using macrame and fishing knot techniques. Her sculptures often seem to defy gravity as she somehow conjures rigid structures out of rope and string.
Sam tunes into a flow like state when forming her sculptures, each knot a meditative movement that slowly forms incredible 3D shapes. But these pieces are also shaped by her emotions and environment, reflected in sculptures displayed in the Oxo exhibition. Sam says:
“‘Every End has a New Beginning’ is such a personal piece for me. I gave up my media business of 22 years to pursue my sculpture full-time and I’ve been creating for a year and a half now. This piece was a culmination of all the emotions from this new journey. What do I feel I can disclose and what to keep hidden? Opening myself up, being authentic and showing people who I really am has been a huge leap for me.
“Sometimes creating work reaches my subconscious. While I was making ‘The White Wreath’ I suffered quite a loss of family and friends. It seemed like death was reminding me of the value of life and to cherish what we have because it’s all so fragile.”
Sam provokes an emotional response from her audience, her sensorial sculptures almost teasing you with the temptation to touch them. Something she played off this exhibition with her first interactive sculpture:
“It really drew people in and kids and adults alike really engaged with it. It was an amazing feeling to see people’s eyes light up with surprise and enjoyment. Most people stood to watch the patterns and formations change and said it had a hypnotic quality.”
Sam broke through creative boundaries with the kinetic sculpture, ‘Pendulum Wave’, made exclusively for this exhibition. This dynamic piece reflects the momentum at which Sam’s stature as a sculptor is quickly picking up.
Award winning ceramicist David Millidge’s pieces may be stylistically different to Sam’s, but his work shares a similar intricacy. David’s other-worldly sculptures are inspired by his love of sci-fi. His work is a combination of slip-casting and thrown forms and just one piece can be crafted from over 100 segments of clay - each fired and glazed separately to give a distinctive style.
Despite being formed from clay, David’s cyborgs and supernatural busts take on an inorganic quality - as if they were created by something other than human hands. The precise nature of his work is juxtaposed with the unpredictability of the material he works with. David says:
“Clay is a truly wonderful medium, but one has to accept the direction that it takes you, rather than fighting to control it. I sometimes scribble an image so that I dont forget an idea, but I never sketch out designs of my work. I like to be surprised!”
The exhibition included David’s new ‘Precious Orbs Collection’ - faultless in their formation they resemble ancient artefacts which David encourages viewers to pick up and hold. There’s something palpable to each orb, which give a glimpse into different worlds through their unique patterns and forms:
“I wasn’t prepared for the amazing response that I received from the Orbs. So many people loved handling them and could feel their energy and some felt an emotional or spiritual connection.”
David’s work ponders the idea of identity and blurs different cultures and faiths to transport viewers to unknown universes. There’s no doubt that making such complex ceramics look so effortless is a true talent.
The fragility of the materials Sam and David use is offset by the solidity of the structures they both create, making sculptures that call into question our perception of reality. Both Sam and David have created work which connects with people on a deeper level because of its tactile nature and the pair are testament to an artist’s resilience to work with challenging mediums to create extraordinary results.
