KEVIN McCARDELL
SCULPTOR
Born in 1958 in the Waikato, I grew up in Rotorua where I went to school , and then embarked on a career in the NZ Police . After 12 years I took early retirement and whilst doing various jobs decided to teach myself to carve. That was 20 years ago.
A practical person by nature,and a realist by experience, I now try to create sculptures which appear life like, and which reflect the different layers of detail that make up that reality. I find clothing interesting, in that it can be a reflection of ourselves, our culture, how we feel, and sometimes how we wish the world to perceive us .
Clothes are items from our personal space, which through our experiences, we mould to suit ourselves. A new coat is a new coat , but a worn weathered coat is a story of the one who lived in it. In a sculptural form, I try to embody the character of clothing, from the flirty femininitiy of lingere, the 'down to earth' practicality of the coats, 'the feeling of home' from a jacket hanging at the door, to the 'laid back 'Kiwiness' of a summer spent at the beach. These thoughts can allow us to identify with the sculpture, and perhaps a part of ourselves .
The timber I use for my sculptures is New Zealand Kauri. It is from the stumps and headlogs of windfallen trees, the barrels of which have been milled over the past 120 years. Left behind to be reclaimed by nature, I feel privileged to be able to transform some of the remains of these great trees so they may endure in a new form for many years to come .