Alain Kaminski - Revealing the third dimension

Creative by nature, Alain Kaminski is an artist who recently turned from drawing to sculpture. He had become frustrated with the two-dimensional aspect of drawing. He has a photographic memory and he was often disappointed with his drawings because they didn't reflect the reality he remembered.

One day a customer at his hairdressing salon in Montreal suggested he try sculpture (Alain later learned she was a sculptor herself). Another customer told him about Atelier Skülpt and he soon began studying there.

This new medium immediately appealed to Alain because the form isn't decided in advance. He feels sculpture is the ultimate form of creation because sculptures aren't copies or reproductions.

One week after he began to sculpt, Alain found out he had cancer. This has encouraged him to learn quickly. Even if he is cured of his cancer, he doesn't know how much time he'll have to create.

Alain believes a complicity exists between an artist and his material. Before he begins a piece, Alain gets to know the stone by feeling it and washing it so that its unique elements, such as veins and holes, become apparent. It's only when he makes his first cut that the full possibilities of the stone appear. He then refines what the stone reveals to him.

One of Alain's inspirations is the art of ancient Egypt, such as alabaster funeral vases, because of the purity of its lines. He also admires the work of the 20th-century sculptors Henry Moore and Constantin Brancusi.

As his technique evolves, Alain would like to develop a refined style. He'd also like to sculpt the human body. His biggest challenge will be to work with stone that is especially hard, such as alabaster, marble and granite. Granite in particular requires special tools that Alain hopes to acquire with time.