Artist Interview with Nele Dorn

Nele Dorn is studying sculpture at Alanus University and is our Artist of the Month. We’re delighted to find out a bit more about her.

What materials do you work with?

I trained as a goldsmith and then moved into fine art. For me, the human body is my material. I work with the body; to do so, I photograph it or incorporate it into sculptural works.

Where does your fascination with the human body come from?

On the one hand, I’m interested in the aesthetics, but I’m also completely fascinated by the connection we have with our bodies. I explore intimacy and social issues, and how I connect with the world through my body. The body often serves as a gateway to emotional issues.

What interests you about stone?

For me, stone is a very hard material and it takes a great dealof strength to work into it, which provides a lovely counterpoint to the soft and vulnerable nature of our bodies. I want to let these opposites intertwine.

What are you currently working on?

I’m just starting a series where I’m incorporating the body even more into the stone, and I’m currently working on a sculpture that really looks as though it’s embedded in the stone.

Did your training as a goldsmith influence you?

My training had an incredible impact on me and paved the way for my career in art. I learnt the craft of working with materials with a precision that still guides me today. And then there’s this physical aspect, which is always there. Of course, the body is always a theme in jewellery. At some point, I started making ever larger pieces and wearing sort of grids around my shoulders. That’s when I realised, hey, now I need to move on.

The jewellery had, so to speak, become so large that you needed a different form for it. But the core of my interest has, so to speak, remained the same.

Yes, absolutely – I even built a steel frame for a performance – 1.5 metres – the ‘corona distance’ that then surrounded me.

Did you manage to get on the Underground with that too?

No, you can’t get in anywhere with it.

What were people’s reactions?

Lots of people immediately recognised the reference to social distancing, and there was plenty of support too. It was, after all, still a very heated topic and I did get shouted at at times – even though I hadn’t intended the performance to have a direct political message. I was much more interested in experiencing the space I had suddenly come to occupy. I walked around like that for 5 hours. At some point, I knew exactly what was around me, what was behind me; I rediscovered the limits of my body.

Physical realities are a recurring theme for you!

As well as my art, I work in the social sector, looking after a person with a disability, and so I’m very close to various physical realities. That’s also very important to me.

You work a lot with photography. Is this a means of documentation for you, or a form of artistic expression?

It’s definitely a key medium. It’s also a very important part of my work. I’ve been taking photographs since I was 13 and use it as a direct way of showing my view of the world. For me, the camera is like a third arm. Photography is very close to my heart and a profound means of expression.

What sort of people do you photograph?

On the one hand, these images have this anonymous and protected quality, very sculptural. For the most part, they also depict female bodies. It’s very important to me to present a new or different perspective on the female body; the images show backs, muscles, etc. … I think it’s very important not to work with professional models, but to involve all sorts of people who are open to it, whether they’re acquaintances or strangers. Another important aspect for me is the idea that, on the one hand, I end up with an image, a work of art, but just as important to me is the process of being allowed to photograph someone in such an intimate way. Many of my current photographs were taken in Norway, for example, where I spent two to three weeks in close contact with the subjects and talked to them about the body and nude photography.

What is it like for you to photograph the nude?

Just as I’m learning a lot about the technical side of it, I’m also learning what it means to maintain that space. What kind of reassurance can I offer, and what does it require of me to make someone feel at ease?

What does nature mean to you?

The photographs originated in nature. The pictures were taken in Norway and it gives me immense pleasure to move from nature into the sculptural realm, because you always have something nature, because you always have something around you , like a counterpart. It’s great fun to interact with nature.

What are your plans for next?

Next, I’d like to try my hand at the male nude. In museums, we see lots of female nudes, but far fewer male ones. Also from a female perspective. I’d like to explore masculinity.

What has been your experience of the student art market?

I came across SKM through fellow students and have always had good experiences so far. I always find it quite nice to read the addresses where the pictures are going.