A Wicked Sense of Humor:

(Winter 2005)

Canadian sculptor Robert Blair has been working for years as a relative unknown, but that seems about to change.  With a unique style and captivating subjects and a new kit through Diceman Creations, he's not just clowning around.

I have to say that I discovered Robert Blair's work only recently myself, but I am sure glad I did.  You can check out his website and see some of the kits he has available for purchase.  If you are a kit producer, some of his work is looking for a home, so don't be shy about contacting him.  We think he has some of the most captivating sculpts around. 

Enjoy the interview . .

CS:   You mentioned that you started sculpting after having a totally different career for most of your life. How did the change come about and perhaps more importantly, why? In other words, what do you remember about your motivations to start sculpting and your experiences in the early stages?

RB:  Well, around 1995 my wife was doing paper mache animals for our kids and craft shows. Since she was spending so much time creating these pieces I decided I wanted to do something as well. I have always been a huge fantasy fan and like books, artwork, movies etc.  I remember occasionally seeing these fantasy figures in some specialty stores, I thought they were really cool looking pieces. I bought some air dried clay and started to sculpt fantasy figures like wizards and dwarves and creatures.

I found out very early that I could only do so much as far as detail and posing working with this clay so I did a little research and found a plethora of materials and tools and reference materials pertaining to sculpting.  Hence, Super Sculpey!  I learned how to create armatures and I worked on detail and some dynamic poses.  I started to collect as much information as possible . . . model kit magazines, sculpting books, FX books.  Since then I have been obsessed with sculpting.

CS:  Can you identify a particular breakthrough moment or event where things “clicked” for you?  If you prefer, what happened to make you realize that you were able to sculpt professionally?

RB:  I just kept sculpting and sculpting pieces, and as they say, practice and practice.  I simply got to a point where I felt my work was good enough to start getting work from companies and to produce my own kits. I felt I had a unique style to offer.

CS:  Your work stands out stylistically from a lot of kits and statues that are made today.  What trademarks are in your style?  What details or forms tend to come up repeatedly in your work and if you can comment on it, why?  To put it another way, what is coming out in your work that is uniquely you and what inspires these trademarks?

RB:  I think my work has a sort of surrealistic feel to it.  It is extremely organic and usually is loaded with detail.  For instance, when I sculpt a comic character I will stay away from realism.  After all it is a comic character.  I find it much more interesting and the sky's the limit, really.

There are a lot of different things in other artists work that inspire me.   I find little things in other works that I'll use and then incorporate them into a sculpt.

RB:  As you know most of my work tends to fall on the . . . dark side. It depends on what I am sculpting. There are certain pieces that I felt didn't require things like sharp teeth etc . . . like Crookneck.  All he needed was a huge malicious grin to portray this sense of evil. 

CS:  Okay, what about the clowns?  What inspires you to do these horrific hucksters?

Actually, Diceman Creations has released a dual set of evil clown busts I sculpted called "Agony and Misery" (right).  The name says it all.

I really like those pieces and I am grateful Ed decided to mold and cast them up. I am definitely not done with evil clowns yet . . . there will be more to come! 

(These kits retail for $100 +$5 S & H as a pair.  Contact Diceman for more info.)

CS:  You've put out a couple of very interpretive and well received kits based on comic characters. Full Mental Jacket immediately springs to mind. What do you remember about creating this kit, especially in terms of the inspiration, look and feel of the finished work?

RB:  Well, because most of my work is original work from my head and because it is . . . how should I say this . . . out in left field, so to speak, it wasn't getting noticed as much as I felt it should.  So I decided to sculpt some  characters that were more mainstream, but still maintaining my style. Hence Marvel Villains, but in my own design.

The Joker is absolutely insane period, so I thought a straight jacket would be ideal instead of his usual purple outfit which we have seen a million times over.  I wanted the body language to be twisted as well with that maniacal look. I think it works very well.

CS:  While Full Mental Jacket certainly first caught my eye personally, it was your Dryad kit that beckoned an email for this interview.  What's the story behind this unique and menacing kit?

RB:  I read a lot of fantasy books and in some of them they would have dryad characters in them or old man tree characters as well, when the author  would describe these characters I thought of sculpting a tree creature that comes to life.  After a few different sculpts I finally was satisfied with my Dryad.  Eventually I want to sculpt some more elemental creatures.

RB:  It was purely a piece I decided to sculpt for Halloween.  I love that time of year and it gets my creative juices flowing.  I actually sculpted him with a few different materials like wood, cloth, jute, mono foam and Super Sculpey. I just think it has an spooky ambience to it that is so Halloween.

I sculpted another multi-media piece as well called "Out of my Gourd.  It's another creepy pumpkin creature I created for Halloween.  I have sculpted pumpkin creatures in the past like Lord Pumpkin.  He was a purely evil living gourd in a short comic book series by Malibu Comics.

The Halloween theme is nothing new in my sculpting endeavors.  I have been sculpting pumpkin creatures and things pertaining to Halloween for years.  I sculpted a Lord Pumpkin character back in 1997 (he was on a cross as well).  I entered him in the Scratchbuilt competition at Chiller Theatre and he won first prize!  I think the Halloween theme fits in very nicely with my style.

RB:  LOL! That could be an idea for a photo of a collage of my pieces surrounding the Mad Hatter. Yes, I did think of a circus ringmaster when I sculpted him. I thought it was very fitting the way he is posed and the outfit he is wearing. 

I was going to get him molded and cast.  However, at the time money became a factor unfortunately.  Who knows it still might happen.  It would be cool!

CS:  There is a figure I would really like to see available as a kit--the Mummy.  It has a kind of Hellraiser feel to it.  What did you have in mind with this?  Any chance it might be sold as a kit? 

RB:  Actually I got the idea from reading and seeing early production sketches of some mummy concepts for the movie The Mummy with Brendan Frasier. I really liked some of the early mummy concept drawings way better than the final concept. That sculpt was sold a while ago; however, I could very easily sculpt another if a company was interested.

CS:  Your work ultimately revolves around the human form . . . though with creepy variations and insinuations!  Have you ever thought of animal or beastly subjects?  (Seems a couple circus freak animals would be a good match!)  Is there are reason you favor the human form? 

RB:  Too be quite honest with you, I never thought of circus animal freaks!  I just think that using somewhat of a human form, yet melding it with exaggerated long limbs, small lumpy heads, facial features tends to give them a creepier and freakier ambiance.

CS:  Let me ask you about the method behind your madness.  As a general rule, you seem like a guy who works on inspiration more than planning and methodical, systematic routine.  Is that a fair assessment?  Can you describe that process a little? 

RB:  Yes, it is a very fair assessment. I just get most of my ideas from my head . . . sometimes an idea will just  pop-up!  I find I get on a roll where all these really cool ideas are floating in my head and I just go for the ride.  When it hits me I grab for the for the super sculpey and go! 

While I am sculpting it really depends on my mood. I will listen to music or have a DVD playing or just nothing at all.  It really depends how I feel. 

CS:  What is the most difficult thing about doing original sculpture?  What obstacles do you face with this? 

RB:  I would have to say the pose.  It is a very crucial process of a sculpture.  It can make or break a piece.  I have had to start some of my sculpts over and over again just because the pose wasn't right.

CS:  You seem to be fiercely committed to your individual style as a real sticking point.  Why is that so important to you?  What advantages do you have as a sculptor working from imagination? 

RB:  I think it is very important to do your own thing, because it is so rewarding!  I have tried to conform to sculpting pieces from other artists like movie characters or comic book characters and I just find it BORING!  It doesn't stimulate me, it's like commercial art. I am sure that's why I am not doing any work for companies, or making any money in it.  

I want to sculpt it the way I see it and the way I want it done which doesn't necessarily mean having to sculpt a character exactly the way they are portrayed in a movie or comic book.

CS:  Are there any projects coming up or in progress you would like folks to know about?  If you prefer, what sort of goals do you have for the next year? 

CS:  Finally, I like to give everyone the same final question: what would you like to say that has not been said yet?