Baldrick Buckle
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Baldrick Buckle (born 1972) is a British born artist and sculptor. Considered to be a rising star of the Dutch art scene, he recently returned to Amsterdam after an unsuccessful attempt to relocate to New York, a fraught 3-month period which culminated in a spectacular fall out with his employer, the Israeli born artist Joshua Neustein. Both artists are noted for their uncompromising personalities.
[edit] Work
Often socially or politically motivated, Buckle's sculptures and installations capture an ironic view and disillusionment with hegemonic culture systems and globalisation. By using common objects and images with which to illustrate his point, Buckle deliberately incorporates a high level of accessibility into his work. This has on occasion led to criticisms of both one-dimensionality and populism.
Buckle's shows to date include 'Bread & Work!' (Oude Kerk, Amsterdam, January 2007) and 'Pieces' (Europlaza, Pakhuis De Zwijger, Amsterdam, May 2007) both of which were covered by the Dutch national newspapers NRC Handelsblad and De Telegraaf. A version of 'Pieces' that included a car, a caravan, a gin & tonic bar and a market stall was also commissioned and exhibited by the organisers of the Art Car Boot Fair 2007, held in London's Brick Lane. The installation was extensively captured by users of Flickr.com and on BBC Collective and was also used as the backdrop to a Richard & Judy television feature on the event.
Buckle was awarded first prize at the Berlage Fund in July 2007.
Buckle was one of the only non-RCA graduates to ever exhibit at the RCA Secret exhibition, held in London at the end of 2007.
Buckle has intimated that a larger version of 'Bread & Work!' might be exhibited at a suitable church in London later in 2008. Buckle has frequently cited a desire to return to the UK.
[edit] Life
Born in Leeds, Yorkshire, Buckle completed a foundation year in art and design at the Jacob Kramer College of Art (now known as the Leeds College of Art and Design) before spending 9 years travelling across Europe in 'Bertha', a 7.5 ton ex British Army truck. Entirely financed through pavement art (large pastel replicas), the manufacture of handicrafts, impromptu and wild performances (often of music) and 'general ingenuity', in an interview in 'De Telegraaf' Buckle subsequently described this period as being 'a magical chapter of life when happiness was inversely proportional to success'.
Bertha came to rest in Amsterdam in 1997 where Buckle co-founded the Dutch sand sculpture collective 'Sandaholics Anonymous'. During this period Buckle organised several other collaborations including a successful attempt to 'sell sand to the Arabs', by negotiating a commission from the government of Abu Dhabi to construct the largest sand sculpture ever built in the Middle East (2001) and a year later he worked with the Football Association of Iraq to bust pre-war trade sanctions by remanufacturing and selling the official replica strip of the Iraqi national team as a fund raising and publicity campaign against the planned invasion (2002).
In 2002 Buckle used the proceeds from the sale of his 50% share of Sandaholics Anonymous to fund a return to academia. He graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Art Academy in July 2007 with a degree in fine art.
