Emma Rodgers

EMMA RODGERS
Emma Rodgers graduated from Wolverhampton University in 1998 completing both BA and MA courses. Many influences shape the work she now creates, from Giaccometti, Naum Gabo, Egon Schiele and Elizabeth Frink. She also extracts experiences from travelling, searching out ideas from both ancient cultures and contemporary art to melt into her current résumé. She has tried to approach her sculptures without sentimentality aiming for an immediate response, welcoming both admiration and revulsion to her art equally. Energy plays a huge part in her work; she aims to depict subjects in their most raw state. The use of sketches, rapid, fluid images trying to capture the essence of the subject’s energy, is then hopefully transferred to clay, tears and gouges in the clay bodies echoing movement and endeavouring not to lose the spirit of the beast.

Once a body of sketches, using quick ink mark making, charcoals, photographs and film has been produced, paying particular attention to joints and movement and the finer details of a subject such as face, digits and in some cases behaviour, she can continue to make the piece. Greater understanding of animal anatomy, other than visual documentary, has been achieved by attending animal autopsies.

As Emma observes she continually tries to push the boundaries of her work in terms of ideas, expression and the use of materials. The main aspect that initially drew her to bronze was the strength. She endeavours to avoid her work appearing over handled, but stretches and tears the clay, often to the point when it splits and breaks, to accentuate the surface. This forms an essential part of an investigation into statement by omission