Page 15 - WOWwART

An abstract representation of connection and preservation, featuring an organic form encased in transparent plastic, symbolizing the delicate balance of human interaction and containment.
In the CORPUS series, what signi- ficance do the knots and flesh-like tones hold in relation to the “cold” statistical language used in the titles?
beginning or end. The process of knotting is arbitrary and emotional, created by tying one knot after ano- ther in a compulsive manner until the rope can no longer be folded.
Your work brings a visceral, almost tangible presence to abstract mea- surements. How do you balance the contrast between the technical and the corporeal in your art?
My artwork is the embodiment
of data, often related to our bodies, into physical objects. This process involves a back-and-forth between a scientific approach—an empirical method of acquiring knowledge —and an artistic approach, which
is more intuitive in solving and understanding a situation. As we discussed, some works begin with
a system of bodily measurements. These measurements transform into language, which is articulated in
a specific way, and this language,
in turn, influences the form of the work. This form is then recei-
ved by the viewer, shifting their perception of themselves. It is in this final stage, when the work is perceived, that I would describe
the experience as visceral. Not
only because some pieces resemble guts or internal organs, evoking raw, physical sensations, but also because the perception of objects appeals to physical sensations rather than logical reasoning. I believe
this sensory engagement shapes how we understand ourselves. It’s not just in artworks; all the objects around us play a role in shaping our self-perception.
Could you share more about your exploration of proxemics in your work? How do you approach repre- senting human relational distances through sculpture?
Proxemics is the study of how people use space and distance in communication, and how these distances can convey meanings,
emotions, and social dynamics. In my work, I explore these ‘empty distances’—the spaces between people interacting—and transform them into objects. The resulting ob- jects serve as index of an absence.
How does the concept of “average” influence your art, particularly in terms of bodily metrics and flesh to- nes, and what commentary are you hoping to make on standardization?
I became interested in the concept of the average because it transforms something universal into something particular. The data tables I use in my work are already the result of averaging—data taken from a large group of people within a specific segment of the population, with the average presented as a universal.
In my work, I often reverse this process, calculating the average
of various universal data points to produce a singular value, which then becomes an art object. The average calculation explores the relationship between the universal and the particular, or the collective and the individual.
By using this averaging method, I break the typical logic of data extra- ction. While averaging is normally part of data analysis, in my work it serves no practical purpose other than to create art.
For viewers of your work, what emotions or reactions do you hope to evoke as they encounter the embodied and recontextualized measurements in your sculptures?
As I mentioned before, more than emotions or reactions, I’m inte- rested in art and the act of making because of how our surroundings influence our perception of oursel- ves .Making art is a way for me to engage with the constellation of things around us.
Daniel Cerrejon masterfully bridges the technical and the emotional, creating art that transforms data into deeply human experiences.
feel ‘warm.’ By ‘cold,’ I mean purely conceptual elements lac- king traditional artistry. The me- asurements represent body data, while the color comes from covering the knots with makeup in a shade that approximates the average skin tone of the Ame- rican population at the time the works were made. Each piece in the CORPUS series reflects ‘the average American person,’ as indicated by the titles.
Each piece in the CORPUS series consists of various components. To answer your question, we can focus on four: the knots, color, titles, and bodily measurements. I appreciate how you frame your question in terms of ‘coldness.’ To me, two of these components are ‘cold’—the measurements and color—while the other two, the knots and titles,
The two elements I consider ‘warm,’ as opposed to the ‘cold’ ones, are the knots and titles. Each title in this series combines various standard bodily measurements, arranged in a poetic way. The rules for these poetic titles vary for each piece. Sometimes, the poetry lies in the sound and rhythm of the words, while other times, it emerges from the sequential meaning of specific measurements. An example title from this series is From One Hand to the Other, whilst Each Holds the Other, of the Average American Person.
The last of the four elements we’re discussing is the knot, which I described as a ‘warm’ element in this temperature analogy. Each knot is made by cutting a rope to the length specified in the title and tying it into a continuous knot without a
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