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Body cast
Recent Show
A State of Flux: Three Artists – New Work
Karni Dorell, Derek A. Haffar & Tony Whitfield
FiveMyles Gallery
558 St. Johns Place, Brooklyn
Sept. 12 – Oct. 10, 2010
The exhibition juxtaposed the human impermanence implied in two photographic installations on the gallery walls with the solidity of the squat and solid forms made from plaster casts of blank canvases.
About Derek Haffar
Derek Haffar has been a working sculptor for over 20 years, with an MFA from Bard College and extensive experience working with accomplished artists such as Red Grooms, Matthew Barney, Tom Otterness, and others. Derek is currently teaching 3-Dimensional Design at Parsons School for Design Strategies.
Artwork
Derek’s personal work is primarily sculpture and in many types of media including:
- Body Casting
- Mold Making
- Drawing
- Painting
- Photography
Mold Making and Casting Services
In addition to art and design work, Derek Haffar offers his services in mold making and casting for artists, interior designers, and other artisans.
Teaching Skills
Derek has experience teaching technical skills in classes and workshops covering topics such as: how do you draw an idea or block an object out for enlarging? How do you design and execute a successful mold so your work is not destroyed or compromised? How do you make your conception clear enough that you can turn it over to a fabricator or second person for execution?
More on Derek’s Background and Point-of-view
At the same time as Derek was exploring artistic concepts while getting an MFA, Derek was developing a solid understanding of the inner workings of a foundry. The foundry work led him in some surprising directions, teaching him the potential of mold making and how an object changes and develops when being transformed from one material to another.
Contemporary sculptors rely more and more on the delegation of the responsibility of execution to assistants, and this has been a trend for some time. However, a successfully trained sculptor should still posses the skills of technical execution. These include the basic skills of drawing, 3-D rendering, a basic knowledge of engineering, and the ability to speak about sculpture.
Working closely with accomplished artists one would think more likely associated with rapid prototyping and other hands-off techniques, Derek found that the rudiments of their success still rely on drawing, additive clay techniques, mold making and casting. Mathew Barney, for example, communicates very specifically about technique to the well-trained consultants and assistants who do the actual sculpting—and without whom his work could not be realized. This is also the case with Red Grooms and other accomplished sculptors. These experiences have sharpened Derek’s skills and introduced him to new applications of technique. They affirmed for him the idea that with a good technical understanding there are many directions that the discipline can lead, including problem solving, team management, and visual realization—which are skills that can be applied not just in art, but in a great variety of fields.
