ARTIST’S STATEMENT
TODJI IS SEEKING QUALIFIED ARTISTIC REPRESENTATION. REFERRALS ARE APPRECIATED.
Todji Kurtzman Sculpture LLC offers my 30 years experience of award winning fine art sculpting, backed by my decade career as a stop-motion animator for Disney, MTV, ABC, AOL, ESPN, HBO, NBA, UPN, WB, HBO and Saturday Night Live.
I encourage audiences to embrace their own experience and interpretation of my sculptures. I have participated in hundreds of sculpture exhibitions, festivals and charity events across the USA and abroad, and the unique perspective of my sculptures invites viewers to expand their perspective.
I sculpt with the intent to create the illusion of great height in a small size, because no matter how small we may be, we can all make a big difference!
Many people have told me that they’ve had childhood dreams that look like my sculptures. That is astonishing, and my best explanation is that something archetypal is at work. Here are my thoughts on this dreamtime mystery:
While exhibiting my sculptures a handful of doctors asked me if I knew about the “Homunculus”, and I did not. I learned that the homunculus is the phenomenon that the brain assigns more brain area to parts of the body that are more sensitive. Lips for example have more brain area connected to them, and are therefore more sensitive and appear larger in the mind’s eye.
Similarly, my sculptures represent the Homunculus in a moment; For example if a person were hanging on by one hand, that hand becomes enormous in the mind’s eye. In regards to the ocular phenomenon, when a child holds onto a parent’s leg and looks up, the head of the parent looks smaller, just as a sky scraper looks narrower at the top when seen from the sidewalk. The mystery of how our eyes and brains make far away objects look smaller and close objects look big is how we can estimate distances and is fundamental to vision. I believe that my sculptures evoke an unconscious understanding of our ocular, sensory and brain architecture, which includes the spirit of expression of each sculpture.
I have coined the term “Figurative Forced Perspective” to describe the technique that I use to create the exaggerated proportions of my sculpture by accessing the principles that are work in the perspective of our vision. I created this technique from the principles of the classic “Forced Perspective” technique used to make movie sets that appear to have great depth in a short distance. Similarly, Michelangelo enlarged the head and shoulders of his masterpiece “David” so that it would appear to have correct proportions when viewed from the ground. The Statue of Liberty was also sculpted to be larger at the top so that it would appear properly proportioned when seen from below. I use this age old technique with the opposite intent to create the illusion of great height in a small size.
I’ve studied Brazilian music and practiced the Afro-Brazilian dance and martial art of Capoeira, and other Latin dances for 30 years, and the expression that I put into my sculptures is sourced from that cultural spice from living and marrying in Rio de Janeiro, and traveling South America for three decades.
I created my first “Figurative Forced Perspective” sculpture in 1998 when I was working as a stop-motion animator for film and TV. I had never seen anyone sculpt in that way, and I’ve never seen another artist sculpt an anatomically correct human figure in a forced perspective 27 years later. I have seen many sculptors begin to exaggerate proportions in the past decade, but there is a difference between exaggerating proportions and scaling anatomy accurately in a forced perspective. I am articulating this because i have seen the influence that my work has had on other sculptors, and I may be the only one who has noticed, and many art professionals may not be familiar with this information.
My broad conclusion is that there is something archetypal going on in the depth of our collective sub-conscious that has expressed itself in people’s dreams and also in my sculptures. I thank God, the muses, and everyone else, when people enjoy my work. My greatest hope is to inspire people to cultivate their own gifts to share with the world.
I create one of a kind site specific designs on a commission basis for private collectors, businesses and public art for cities. My existing limited edition bronze sculpture designs are available in nearly all sizes in bronze, stainless steel and 3D prints. Is there a particular sculpture that speaks to you? Please inquire! I can digitally customize existing designs to make them a unique fit for client’s objectives, or I can create entirely new work representing people, flora, fauna or the elements.
I design my sculptures to look beautiful from every angle of view, they have a potential 4000 year longevity, and I strive to produce timeless works of art that have the potential to inspire countless generations.
The site-specific concepts that I create for commissions are rooted in research, so I can tap the root of the project. I focus on inclusivity, positivity and I celebrate the commonalities of our diversity. I work in a variety of styles, some of which are shown on my website, and others are from my stop-motion animation portfolio. I can tell local stories, or celebrate nature’s majesty with concepts that celebrate the past, involve community participation in the present, and I strive to present simple wisdom to uplift the future.
I have produced the creative concepts, sculpture, drafting, construction documents, fabrication, earthquake engineering, ADA, installation, community participation, and all other aspects of the practice for eighteen bronze monuments since 2006. I use traditional hand sculpting techniques combined with state of the art 3D sculpting, 3D drafting, and 3D printing for a smooth digital interface with other design professionals. My sculpting style is iconic, immediately recognizable, and I can create landmark destinations.
Thank you for your interest in my art. It is patronage that keeps me working as an artist, and for that I am deeply grateful!
Todji
