Biography
ARTIST’S BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT:
Jacob Kulin
My graduate degree exhibition from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1999 displayed a series of neck-pieces using a variety of materials. A fascination with the repetitive components of jewelry has led me to my current direction in the designing and constructing of wall-mounted / free-standing sculpture.
The evolution of my sculpture has also been influenced by a longstanding admiration for Scandinavian design from the 50's and 60's. Clean, modern forms and the use of innovative materials define my current work. I am, in essence, creating large jewelry in the shape of sculpture. The human dimension (jewelry) has been translated to the architectural dimension (sculpture). Using repetition and pattern the individual components of each work combine to achieve larger, more exciting compositions.
Precise fabrication and attention to detail are fundamental. While metal and wood are favored materials, many other substances have been used. The successful juxtaposition of these different materials continues to be of great interest to me.
The inspiration for my work stems from visual images seen daily. These inspirations may be man made - such as a staircase within an interior space - or natural - such as branches on a tree. New ideas invariably continue to evolve during the process of designing and constructing, such that the final prototype rarely resembles the initially sketched idea.
