Dani Marti’s sculptures are supremely textural, and the internationally recognised artist explores life and love below the surface. He enlightens ROSEMARIE MILSOM on a visit to his Aberdare home.
Spanish-born artist Dani Marti is standing at the entrance to his backyard, looking out to a sculptural garden of succulents and an inviting in-ground swimming pool. Bougainvillea gropes the top of the tall brick wall that encloses the corner block, or ‘‘compound’’ as Marti, tongue in cheek, refers to the 100-year-old former general store and storage shed cum studio and modest open- plan home.
It is good, and a delightful surprise. With a bold blue sky overhead and a warm whispering breeze, we could be in Barcelona, Marti’s exuberant birth place, or even Los Angeles. Instead, we are incongruously in Aberdare, a small suburb of wide sleepy streets on the edge of Cessnock. This has been home for Marti and his long- term partner and fellow artist Philip Drummond for nearly two years, though Marti also spends part of the year in Glasgow, where he completed a Master of Fine Arts in 2006.
Why Scotland? ‘‘I wanted to study in Europe, somewhere small, and become part of an art community,’’ he says, walking ahead. ‘‘I visited Glasgow and liked it. It’s post-industrial, rough, pretty edgy and severe.’’And Cessnock? ‘‘It’s a little bit like that . . . with more sun. I like it here,’’ Marti continues, his Catalonian accent colouring his speech. ‘‘For me, here, it’s about real people who are getting on with their lives. I couldn’t work in Sydney. There was too much noise…