At The Pen Shop we have recently been blown away by the sculptures created by artist Jennifer Maestre. Usually art is created with ink and paint rather than pens and pencils themselves. As pen enthusiasts this then inspired us to search for other artists using writing instruments to create outstanding pieces of art. We have rounded up some of the best sculptures and installations we can find to share with our fellow pen admirers.
To make the pencil sculptures Jennifer Maestre takes hundreds of pencils, cuts them into 1-inch sections, drills a hole in each section (to turn them into beads), sharpens them all and sews them together.
Federico Uribe is a conceptual artist resorting to the language of pop art through the use of objects of daily life, but with a formal reference to the history and tradition of classical art.
This installation named Colony is designed by New York based artist Tara Donovan who is known for creating unique forms out of ordinary objects.
Lionel Bawden constructs sculptures from hundreds of coloured pencils fused into a fractured mass.
Kerstin Schulz makes her fascinating Schwarmkunst (Swarm Art) sculptures out of pencils creating everyday articles like chairs desks, phones and rooms.
Using 185,252 colored pencils, San Francisco’s Jason Mecier singlehandedly designed and installed this piece, which took him five years
Constructed by Harriete Estel Berman this art installation called ‘Pick Up Your Pencils’ consists of pencils hanging like a shimmering curtain that moves with the slightest breath of air.
Pencilheads is an ad campaign by Augusto Moreno dos Anjos created in collaboration with German artist Ragna Reusch Klinkenberg-, who carved the faces of the world’s most famous political leaders on the tips of pencils.
Working with delicate pencil material stimulates thoughts that the artist Helga Stuber-Nicolas also hopes to arouse in those who view her works.
Working with delicate pencil material stimulates thoughts that the artist Helga Stuber-Nicolas also hopes to arouse in those who view her works.
Sean Herberts work involves the reclaiming disposable objects in mass to create two and three dimensional works.
“The Machine in the Ghost” is an installation by Kenneth Steinbach consisting of 2400 individually crafted pencils positioned like darts along a wall.
Table of Pencils is the work of sculptor Motohiro Tomii and was created specifically to walk a thin line between conceptualism and utilitarianism.
Professional carpenter Dalton Ghetti carefully creates miniature masterpieces building and carving sculptures into the tip of led pencils.
In the middle of Echigo-Tsumari Art Field in Japan Pascale Marthine Tayou created “Reverse City” where enormous colored pencils hewn from trees dangle 2 meters above the ground, pointing down at the visitors below.
If we have missed an artist from this list please share in the comments below.