Joseph Derek Hildesheim was raised in Elizabethtown Kentucky. After earning a scholarship through The Governor’s School for the Arts, he joined up with the art community as an undergrad at Western Kentucky. As a senior he plans to graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture.

   When I asked Derek what forms of art he creates, he commented:  “As many artists may say, I muster inspiration from a variety of sources, most unexpected. This is the same with the mediums that I experiment with. Mixed media would have to be the choice solution. Every object or material has a language of its own and my work pulls any material when asked. This being said I enjoy many forms of art: painting, drawing, ceramics, but most of all sculpture.  Sculpture contains for me, little to no limitations (besides basic physics), this freedom allows me to truly have a conversation with my work.”

   Derek says he has been making art for as long as he can remember and before that. He gives the credit to his mother, “She would have me draw and paint at a very early age and the urge has followed me since. She still has the pictures I drew of Godzilla and others of made up monsters”.   “I’m currently an undergrad at Western Kentucky University so I find myself ‘living’ in the sculpture workshop and foundry. It is a nice setup; you’re able to do work that normally you wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience. While working at Western Kentucky University I’ve been able to experience welding, bronze and aluminum casting as well as wood working”.

   Mr. Hildesheim has been working sculptures for about four years. He said that it is very exciting and refreshing and very unique. Unlike other two dimensional arts, for him sculpture can have an amazing and sometimes monumental presence. “Only sculpture can encroach on your personal space standing right beside you looking and starring, or open a space freeing you and lifting you to higher thoughts. Sculpture to me is real, gritty and true. I’m really involved in the presence of the work and the unique ways a viewer can interact with a piece”, stated Derek.

   Using a broad range of material, Derek said that any material that can benefit the piece he will try to use. He has done works with varieties of metals, plaster and plastics, but he says he loves using natural material like wood, stone, fiber and bone. Since he was a Boy Scout, he has always had a general awe for nature. The beauty is simple but true, which makes him admire artists like Andy Goldsworthy.  He also uses painting or drawing to work ideas in a new way, or to get a different perspective on an idea.

   Derek said that he has always found that items and materials can communicate a good amount. Most of his inspiration comes from studying interesting items and materials. Paint, antiques, science equipment, and discarded metal from junks yards (to name a few) all have a specific language and history.  Derek said, “Interpreting that language and using it is something very beautiful.  In regards to creating, I am always trying to listen to the material and interpret its nature.  Knowing this, paired with years of building intuition in composition, can create a piece with a true personality”.

   “I really enjoy working with metals. I like welding steel plates and rods to create structure. The heavy solid form of steel is something satisfying all in itself. Because of this heavy use of steel, my work has an attached industrial imagery. Recently I’ve found that this man made rigid form when posed beside an organic or natural form, like wood, can create a really nice relation in its contrast.  “Contrast has become a growing tool in my work. I first realized the power of it in oil painting. Pairing a smooth blended line next to a rigid flat form can create a striking relation. I’m trying to transition this thought into sculpture. I definitely found it in my piece Dead Leg Walking which was something of a continuation of Preservation. When the steel is paired next to leather or bone the juxtaposition only helps you appreciate the material that much more. This contrast is also the same used in classical music. Just as highs and lows with pairing instruments create a beautiful audio harmony, so can contrasting materials bring a visual harmony.  With this in mind, I plan create assemblages, that play off each other with complementary relations; the result should be similar to an intricate still life. So the viewer can appreciate the matter of each material”, stated Derek. 

   He said that a large influence to his work has been architecture. “After being exposed to architecture while attending Governor’s School for the Arts, I found it everywhere. I constantly think of architecture when building or examining a form. I look for underlying structure and angles but more importantly the space around the form. One thing I’ve learned is that the space that’s an object resides in is just as important as the form itself sometimes even more important. That is the main idea of architecture. For me sculpture and architecture share a very similar visual language and perform in the same way too. I would love to experience architecture with its added element of physical interaction. In fact one of my plans after graduating is to apply to architecture school. I even feel that the language that I’ve been building with natural and industrial materials would translate well with the innovations in organic design and green construction”.

   “One thing that I’ve learned from making art is that you can’t be set in your ways or ever close your mind off. I say this because any unexpected moment of exploration can lead to an epiphany.  I would go as far to say that this idea has transferred over into my life. One cannot let themselves be certain of the world around them. You have to stay hungry for new information, new experiences and new ideas because getting an education takes a lifetime and even then you can’t fully understand the world around you. If I were to give a definition of madness it would be: being fully settled and certain of the world around oneself. Janine Antoni whom I got to see at a lecture, had a great moment when learning how to tight rope walk. She said, learning to walk wasn’t about how to learn how to balance, it was learning how to be comfortably out of balance”.

   Derek gets inspiration from many.  He said that a lot of his inspiration comes from taking the time to view and study the world around him, truly listening and seeing.  He said that along with this there are many great people who continually inspire him. Currently the artists that he has been researching are Richard Deacon, Brancusi, Puryear and especially Lee Bontecou. All these artists were recommended by my equally inspiring professor and mentor David Marquez. I also pull from the great architects Gaudi, Wright, and just recently the works of Robert Harvey Oshatz.

   Derek said, “One of my past drawing professors Kim Chalmers put it perfectly once; using very stunning imagery he gave a metaphor of the scout and the village. The scout (being the artist) must journey out on his own, into uncharted areas to discover what lies outside the view and understanding of the people back home. However, it is his responsibility to return and explain everything he saw in what little words his language has to describe the events he witnessed”.

   Derek attended Elizabethtown High school, the Governors School for the Arts: Architecture, the Elizabethtown Community Technical College and now has a BFA in progress at Western Kentucky University: Sculpture.  He has attended lectures from Dimick Soly, Brenda Brown, Michelle Dussault, Mark Burns, Mark Scala, Isabella Barbuzza, Thielen, Frank Weatherbee, James Wechsler, and Rocky Horton. 

   Mr. Hildesheim has shown at the Western Kentucky University Student Juried Show, U.S. Bank Open Celebration of the Arts at the  Kentucky Museum, the Capitol Arts Exhibition, the Falkner Gallery and the Western Kentucky University Research Center.  Derek said he would like to develop his art further but also he would like to explore architecture saying that he will always wish to share his art with others.

   You can contact Derek at:  Joseph.hildesheim885@topper.wku.edu or by phone, 270-872-3021

    Joseph Derek Hildesheim leaves us with these words from John Holt, “The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don’t know what to do.”

About the author: Ronnie Jaggers is a seasoned sculptor, fine artist and master crafter. Her work can be seen on ChiseledFeaturesStudio.webs.com. She reminds other artists “Trust the beauty of your art, for if you see the beauty, others will too.” To be considered for the featured artist call Ronnie at 791-3505 or email ChiseledFeaturesStudio@yahoo.com