Joto Giotto Dimitrow is one of the few artists who sculpt in such a difficult material. “Almost no one works with this material because it is difficult. It does not readily lend itself to processing. You cannot drill anything into it unless you pour alcohol on the chisel,” he described his work in the opening words of our conversation Joto Giotto Dimitrow.
The artist has been sculpting for forty years. In 2006, he received a special award from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage in recognition of his invaluable contribution to Polish culture. His works win gold medals at international exhibitions. He exhibits in Germany, Italy, France and Hungary. He is a highly respected artist in Konin, where he currently lives.
Joto Giotto Dimitrow most often sculpts in brass and aluminium. These two metals allow him to search for new forms, develop them and arrange them in space. He changes materials depending on his formal explorations. He chose aluminium for its lightness. However, when processed, the material imposes many limitations on the artist. It becomes dull, crumbles and cracks; it can be compared to clay. He chooses brass for heavy works with more complicated forms.
Dimitrow’s workshop is very simple. As he says, he does not even have a welding machine. He makes his works by hand using ordinary tools, files and a rasp (a woodworking tool, a type of file with triangular teeth). He also often cuts them by hand, using a mechanical cutter only for brass. Then, in the final stage, he smooths the surfaces of the sculptures. He uses pastes, sands and polishes until he achieves the desired result. The work is laborious. It may take one day, or a month. The material determines the time.
The idea for a new work begins with choosing a form. Dimitrow makes sketches and then selects the material. He imitates no one and does not reproduce fashionable trends. He searches for new shapes.
Alongside his sculptures, the artist also presented his oil paintings. They look more like photographs or graphics than paintings. “I use many techniques to paint them: brushes, palette knives, blowing… It is a kind of magic. In general, it is a play with space. One of the museum directors persuaded me to paint them because he wanted to complement my sculpture exhibition with paintings,” says Dimitrow. He also admits that he paints landscapes and takes part in plein-air painting sessions. But this type of subject matter bores him. He lasted through two plein-air sessions. He ran away from the third. Asked what was most important to him, he replied: “That I should have ideas. When you have them, you live. When you do not, there is no life.”
Długa Gallery – advice for its curators
The Długa Gallery in Bolesławiec, where Dimitrow’s works are being presented, has a chance to become an important place on the artistic map—not only of Bolesławiec—if its curators are willing to heed a few pieces of advice.
The artist complained about the lack of suitable stands for displaying the works. As a result, some of them remained in storage. He was also dissatisfied with the presentation of the exhibition. Neither the miniature leaflet-catalogue, which contained no information about the exhibitions in which he had participated, nor the descriptions of the displayed works satisfied him. “Describing the works and providing information about the awards they have won makes the viewer more interested in the work. They ask why the work received such a high assessment and what makes it so exceptional,” the artist explained to us.
The gallery can also choose a media patron who will be able to showcase the event with due care.
Meetings with artists are always extremely enriching and important for art audiences; it is worth writing about them and promoting every such event.
Readers of the IstotneInformacje.pl portal are invited to the Joto Giotto Dimitrow exhibition at the Długa Gallery in the Bolesławiec Cultural Centre.
(GH information)