How inflatable dolls brought Martijn back to the classical sculpting tradition

After graduating from the sculpture department of AKI ArtEZ Academy of Art & Design at the time, Martijn Stellinga worked both inside and outside the cultural sector. Seventeen years after graduation, he began studying the Tailor-Made Fine Art and Design in Education in Zwolle. Following up on art school, this course enables you to obtain a full teaching licence within two years. A few weeks before completing his studies, Martijn talks about his graduation project.

'I myself am so amazed at what I came up with. It really is work for those 18 and older, though…. I found material last semester that I find absolutely fantastic. I began my creative process by thinking and sketching about three themes: amusement park/circus, DIY and the sex industry. This led me to the idea of inflatable dolls, which come in numerous forms. And, in addition to dolls, there of course are all kinds of inflatable animal figures, for example, for use in the pool. I started cutting and pasting that material, combining human and animal, or human and human. For example, I endowed a woman with three breasts. The first figure I created was very difficult. It kept leaking all the time, which I constantly had to fix. Now I have a much better grasp of it. The material is so rich. For my graduation work, I'm creating three figures in different poses. I'm actually returning to the old sculptural tradition, but it's becoming ironic in this way.'

The female nude

Martin refers to the female nude, a classic theme in sculpture and other forms of art. 'I would never have thought I'd be working on that theme: the creator versus the model, which he can bend to his will. That's how it feels, but differently. I can make her how I want her to be. The artist-man who manipulates women the way he wants them, that's the line I pursued.' During the conversation, Martijn shows his work in progress. A female inflatable doll with three breasts has the head of a llama carefully glued on top of it. A ponytail adorns her behind. Martijn says: 'Inflatable figures are a form of fantasy. But as a creator, I think even that isn't good enough, so I give her an animal head, for example. For me, this makeability is also a picture of the future. People interact less and less, and the artificial becomes more prominent. Everything becomes makeable, all needs can be satisfied. During a work review, we talked about gender fluidity. In my work, humans and animals intermingle, not gender. This, incidentally, is an ancient notion, which you also see in nature religions.'

Dynamics

Even Martijn himself was surprised by his graduation topic, for the study and interaction with fellow students comes with a tremendous dynamic, he says. 'Besides the advice from lecturers, the exchange with fellow students is very enriching. You interact with a regular group. There were five of us joining the third-year students part-time. It's amazing to have a whole group of fine people around who are doing their work from love, and each of whom has unique experiences that they bring to the academy. You're infected before you know it!'

Two worlds collide

Now that the program is almost complete, Martijn sees the process that he and his fellow students have gone through as a logical whole in which the components fit together surprisingly well: "When you start the program, your visual arts and educational courses often seem like two separate worlds. By emphasising personal input, you naturally learn to connect visual arts with didactic and pedagogical skills. This has greatly improved both my visual arts and educational skills. Gradually, you realise that there is a connection between the different subjects."

Want to know more about the Tailor-Made Visual Arts and Design in Education programme?

This bachelor's program trains you to become an expert, inspiring, and socially engaged visual arts teacher who knows how to convey their enthusiasm for art in a contagious way. The Tailor-Made Visual Arts and Design in Education program is specifically intended for professional visual artists and designers who have completed a bachelor's degree in art, and for teachers with a secondary school teaching qualification in drawing, crafts, textile arts, or visual arts.

More information about the Tailor-Made Visual Arts and Design in Education programme