THE POWER OF NATURE IN THE EYES OF SCULPTOR

On November 12^th, 2023, the city of Hamilton and The Nikola Tesla Educational Corporation unveiled to the public the newest Hamilton Public Art Project, "Empower, for the first time." This project was largely funded by the city of Hamilton with the help of the Nikola Tesla Educational Corporation. The purpose of this public art project was to pay homage to the great Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla and his contribution to the process of bringing hydropower to the city of Hamilton. This date marks the 125th anniversary of the arrival of hydropower to Hamilton. The artist who created this wonderful work and was the winner of the Hamilton Art Project competition is our very own is Lily Otašević. Here is what she had to say.

Congratulations on your great success for your work "Empower", which was announced as the winner of the Hamilton Public Art Project. As an artist, what attracted you to apply to this particular competition?

Thank you. What attracted me to this project, of course, is the connection to Nikola Tesla. I haven't had a feeling as important as this one.

Tell me a little bit about yourself. How long have you been working as a sculptor? What is your favorite material to work with for making sculptures?

I have been involved in sculpture and sculptural installations for over 20 years, and public art projects since 2007. I studied painting in Belgrade and before coming to Canada I did not do sculpture. My favorite material is metal, stainless steel and aluminum.

Tell us about your previous sculptures, exhibitions, art projects?

So far, I have implemented 11 sculptural public art projects across Ontario and one in China as part of the Canada-China cultural exchange. I have done numerous solo exhibitions, including one in Belgrade. I was particularly fond of a project in the establishment of an art gallery in the building of the Serbian National Academy in Toronto in the period between 2013 and 2015. I was also particularly pleased with the period in which I dealt with sculptural installations using old used brick as a material in combination with ethnic elements of Serbian culture.

How did you come up with the idea to start working on public art projects and why?

The idea came by accident. Due to circumstances, an art consultant from Toronto with whom I collaborated between 2005-2007 was hired to organize an art competition for a public art project for one of their residential projects for the private entrepreneurial firm Minto Canada. She invited me to propose my concept for a sculpture and urban furniture along with three other Canadian artists. What resulted was my first project of its kind to be realized in the courtyard between two residential buildings at Yonge and Eglinton in Toronto. After this successful project, I realized that projects of this kind give me multi-layered satisfaction in my work because they give me the opportunity to do both creative and conceptual work in which there are elements of industrial design that I love very much. Since then, my focus has been on public art projects. Also, the competitive element in these kinds of projects intrigues me and attracts me to them.

Since the sculpture “Empower” is made in an abstract style, do you also create sculptures that are in the style of realism?

I don't think Empower is abstract, quite the contrary there are numerous elements of realism there. Although it is a sculpted form, it is very clear that there is a waterfall and a stylized turbine in the center. In my work, I usually resort to simple forms that are easy to understand and identify visually. This simplicity may sometimes seem abstract, but in essence it is not.

What was your inspiration for the sculpture “Empower”?

The theme is very complex and contains complex elements of the history of the city of Hamilton and its connection to Nikola Tesla. Since I didn't want to get into literal interpretations, I focused on Tesla and the power of nature that he used in his patents. He loved waterfalls and nature and the synergy between nature and the inventive human mind. This was my main inspiration.

Briefly describe this work of art. Perhaps a description of the process of making this sculpture and the meaning that this sculpture carries.

As I have previously stated, my focus has been on curiosity, inventiveness, on the power of mind over matter, and nature which were all a part of and from which we are inseparable. I wanted to add an element of surprise to the sculpture and get the observer to actively explore and discover the sculpture by adding a stylized turbine representation to it. This turbine, however, is not visible at first sight, but appears at a certain angle of observation. You can't see a waterfall or a turbine at the same time, but either one or the other depending on the angle of observation. I wanted to show that things are not always what they seem at first and that the process of humans’ work in cooperation with nature is not always immediately noticeable even though it is simultaneously taking place.

What was the process like working on such a large sculpture? Is making large sculptures more effort than working on smaller ones?

Creating each sculpture is a new technical challenge. I work in collaboration with a factory that has the ability to perform some more complicated elements which may be required for my work. Since it's not a serial production and it's always a different design and usually with large dimensions, the whole process is a challenge for me and for engineers, welders, etc. However, all these challenges are part of the beauty of such projects. Yes, the size of the sculpture complicates the workmanship, the appropriate material must be determined, structural challenges must be solved, it takes more time to make, etc.

I assume that you had a great desire and responsibility towards this project since it is connected with the great Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla and you yourself also being of Serbian origin. Tell us a little bit about it.

This has been my biggest challenge so far for a number of reasons. From a personal perspective, I was afraid that I would not be the successful entry in this competition, and that would be very difficult for me, precisely because of my background and because Nikola Tesla holds the rank of our national hero (if not a global hero). On the other hand, I was worried that my background would actually work against me when it came time for the jury to make a decision. I was worried that the jury would decide in someone else's favor just so that it wouldn't be thought that the project was awarded to me because of my background. I know it all sounds complicated.

Fortunately, the process of such competitions is so well coordinated and very transparent. Comments of members of the community at large are taken into account so that an objective decision is reached and the individual whose artistic concept is most suited to a specific topic and the goals of the project is chosen.

Do you have any advice for future artists on how to succeed in this business?

If they wish to do public art projects, they should be aware that there is an extremely high level of competition. They should be prepared for years of investing a lot of hard work before they can expect to see any success. It would not be a bad idea to work with a mentor, a person who already has accomplished projects and holds experience in projects and work of this kind. In the end, the main focus should be enjoying the creative process, and success is bound to follow!