Exclusive Interview with a German Sculptor & Videographer freaky-Deek

Meet freaky-Deek, a talented sculptor and videographer hailing from the Black Forest region in Germany. He has been showcasing his work in various galleries, exhibitions, and social media platforms. Having grown tired of just typing on a keyboard, freaky-Deek decided to dive into his creative passion and start his own business. As a former figurine collector, he wanted to create something truly unique and dynamic. So, he combined his electronics skills with his love for art and crafted sculptures with added features such as lights and sound. Recently freaky-Deek embarked on a new journey with the creation of a one-of-a-kind polymer clay cyborg sculpt, known as Project AD-01.

Can you tell our readers about your childhood, family, and the environment you grew up in? Were you an artistic child and what inspired you to become a sculptor?

I think the foundation was laid in early childhood. As the son of a teacher, I already had access to craft materials such as clay and wood quite as a toddler. Therefore, I may have been the first test person for my mother when she had new ideas what she wanted to teach her students. From crocheting to knitting, tinkering with paper, or even by working with clay, I was influenced very early.

Likewise, much emphasis was placed on me having access to music as early as possible. I had the opportunity to enjoy an early musical education at the age of 4 years, which led to me learning to play various musical instruments. My enthusiasm for television and film was fueled by the fact that these were frowned upon at home, making it more interesting for me because it was “forbidden”.

In addition, there was a U.S. military station near my hometown, which led to me growing up under great American influence, such as German-American folk festivals and other events. This was something completely different from the impressions one knew from MTV or Hollywood films, and it shaped me quite a bit. American films of the 80s and 90s have a special storyteller style which can be very theatrical sometimes. This style, which one could describe as “very over the top”, is reflected in my work as well.

In my late teens I excessively caught up on everything I felt I had missed. I have never lost the passion for film since then, in fact it has grown more and more until finally, in 2018, I was able to combine my two passions: filming and staging my work.

What makes your sculptures unique?

First of all, the size is a unique feature. Doing almost everything at a scale of 1:2, meaning half human size, is something you don’t see that much around, especially not with polymer clay. I mean, it is such a huge challenge to find ways just to develop a secure and stable baking process at this scale.

My take on things is another aspect which makes my sculptures unique. Before everything else, I see a film in my head. Literally. With all the lighting, mood, and a soundtrack. The result is not just a sculpture, it is a short visual story. And therefore, I focus and collaborate with unique musicians to tell that story.

Were there any significant events during your art career that influenced your artistic development?

I have always been a visual guy which is why it feels so difficult expressing myself in writing. Even in my early childhood I had troubles making my surrounding understand my needs. That drove me into doodling, sculpting and later on into filming, musical expressions, and to something many do: collecting.

We all express ourselves visually, whether it’s through clothing styles or colour choices we make, music we listen to, or brands we show off with. This is called fandom. We express what style we prefer and make it our own – so you could say we are all focusing on visuals in a sense.

Long story short: During the time I worked as a content manager and product manager, I primarily focused on visually expressing my ideas instead of writing thousands of words in emails to business partners or colleagues. That’s when I started actively engaging in photography and videography, and not long after that sculpting became another passion of mine. The moment you suddenly realize things turn out the way you wanted them to be with your visuals motivates you to improve your skills even more.

What challenges did you have to overcome as an artist?

Consistency is a big word I am constantly struggling with. After finishing a project, I feel the urge to create something completely new, but social norms, and social media as well, dictate a sense of regularly pushing out similar content, using similar hashtags, maintaining a schedule – which are, in my opinion, literally poison to creativity.

The creative community on livestream platforms like Twitch or YouTube, particularly in the sculpting niche, is very welcoming and not competitive at all, and I am very lucky to have such nice viewers and followers who support me.

However, streaming live and being distracted by alerts, sounds, or just chat during a very meditative sculpting process, is highly energy draining for a guy like me. As much as I love talking to people and hanging out with them – the focus on the project comes always first. And that’s what I had to embrace, especially to finish the AD-01 project, which has now been launched on Kickstarter.com.

PART 2 of our Exclusive Interview with freaky-Deek

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Exclusive Interview with a German Sculptor & Videographer freaky-Deek | Part 1

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