David Madacsi | The Visual Artist of Light, Landscape and Found Objects.
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Meet David Madacsi
In this interview, Mark created David Madacsi's fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions to which there are no wrong answers.
Mark had a time machine and magic wand at his disposal, so expect some surprises, laughs, anecdotes and conversational detours.
Based in Connecticut, David Madacsi has built an artistic practice around the interconnectedness of found objects, unexpected combinations, environmental installations and a rather interesting relationship with titles.
His journey into the visual arts followed a substantial academic career in physics, culminating in his appointment as Professor of Physics Emeritus at the University of Connecticut. However, while his scientific background continues to influence the way he observes and understands the world, he is keen to make one distinction: physics informs his work, but physics itself is not the subject matter. He is an artist, not a scientist trying to disguise a laboratory experiment as a sculpture.
His earlier research explored light, the spectroscopy of crystalline materials and photo-electrochemical conversion processes for solar energy storage. In simpler terms, he was interested in how light interacts with materials and how energy can be captured and transformed.
That understanding of the physical world has given him a particular sensitivity to the way we experience our surroundings. For David, light is not simply something that allows us to see a subject. It can change the character of a place, alter our perception of an object and influence the entire atmosphere of an image.
One of David's most distinctive bodies of work is what he calls Visual Haiku. The idea takes inspiration from traditional Japanese haiku poetry, which communicates an idea or feeling through a carefully limited number of words and syllables, usually arranged across three lines.
David applies a similar principle to three-dimensional art. Rather than filling a composition with endless materials and details, he uses a deliberately small number of found objects to create an image with room for interpretation.
These are not simply objects placed together because they happen to look interesting. Their arrangement, relationship and visual associations are carefully considered. The materials do much of the talking, but there is one particularly important finishing touch: the title.
For David, a title is not an administrative label or something added at the last minute because an exhibition form insists on one. It is an essential part of the artwork itself. The image provides the first two elements of the experience, while the title supplies something like the final line of a poem. Once the viewer has seen the assemblage and read its title, a connection can suddenly emerge. An apparently ordinary collection of objects can become humorous, metaphorical, surreal or unexpectedly moving.
Alongside his sculptural work, David creates site-specific environmental installations that respond to the characteristics of particular locations. These include experiments with what he describes as 'image-gathering' water lenses, exploring how natural materials and optical effects can alter the way an environment is seen.
Water, reflection and light become part of the creative process. Rather than treating a location as a convenient backdrop, David considers its physical characteristics as an active part of the work. The surroundings matter, and the final experience depends on the relationship between the installation and the place in which it exists.
This interest also runs through his landscape photography, where he has developed the idea of 'visual terroir'. The word terroir is normally associated with wine and describes how the characteristics of a particular environment contribute to the flavour and identity of what is produced there. David borrows the concept to explore whether certain locations possess their own distinctive visual qualities.
Why do artists repeatedly gravitate towards places such as Venice, Provence, Skagen and Taos, New Mexico? What makes the light in these locations feel so characteristic that generations of painters and photographers have been drawn to them?
These are questions that have informed David's long-term exploration of the relationship between light, art and place. He is interested in how geography, atmosphere, moisture, water and changing environmental conditions influence what the eye sees. His photographs investigate these subtle differences, capturing the visual identity of particular micro-environments rather than simply recording a picturesque view.
He is also working on a book exploring this interconnectedness of light, art and place, bringing together an interest that has developed throughout his scientific and artistic life.
David's contribution to the arts extends beyond his own studio; he co-founded the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art, taking on the roles of Founding Board Chairman and Associate Curator. He remained closely involved with the gallery for 25 years, helping to develop its programme and create opportunities for artists and audiences to engage with contemporary visual art.
His cultural interests were not confined to gallery walls. Between 1995 and 2000, he produced the Jazz…by the Sea festival, bringing live music into the university's cultural programme. He also directed Arts and Cultural Programs at Avery Point.
He is a fellow of the I-Park Artists' Enclave, an international residency programme in Connecticut supporting artists working across disciplines, including visual art, writing, choreography and music.
He has also participated in the Cill Rialaig Project in County Kerry, Ireland, an artists' residency that provided another opportunity to explore the relationship between environment, place and creative practice.
His professional affiliations include elected membership of the Mystic Museum of Art, where he served as Board President between 2017 and 2020, the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts and the New England Sculptors Association.
His award-winning work has been exhibited at institutions including the Newport Art Museum, Mattatuck Museum, Florence Griswold Museum, Slater Memorial Museum, Ogunquit Museum of American Art and Providence Art Club. His work has also appeared in exhibitions responding to wider cultural and historical themes, demonstrating how found objects and carefully constructed visual relationships can open up conversations beyond the materials.
David Madacsi's interests do not sit neatly inside a single artistic category. He is interested in sculpture, photography, environmental installation, music, literature, architecture and the cultural character of places. His scientific background provides another perspective, but it does not restrict the way he approaches creative work.
Examples of David Madacsi's work
David Madasci's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and a time machine to hand.
Every Arts and Culture Network member is invited to embark on a Fantasy Cultural Year—an imaginary twelve-month journey designed around their passions, curiosity and imagination.
For David Madacsi, the adventure begins in Paris, at the Rodin Museum. Housed in the former home of sculptor Auguste Rodin, the museum offers exactly the kind of experience David enjoys: sculpture surrounded by architecture, gardens and history. It is a place to wander, observe and spend time with the work rather than rush through another gallery ticking off famous names.
A table has been reserved on the lawn for an early summer evening. The drink of choice is either a glass of Hungarian Tokaji Aszú dessert wine or a cocktail combining Tokaji with Hungarian apricot eau-de-vie. Both sound rather appropriate for an evening of conversation about art, although perhaps the cocktail is best enjoyed after the day's research is finished.
There is also a book on the table: The Phenomenon of Man by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. It is a book David has returned to over the years, particularly appreciating its enormous scope, exploring the world from its beginnings through to humanity and the possibilities of the future. It is the sort of reading material that makes small talk about the weather feel slightly inadequate.
The journey begins in earnest with a visit to Provence. David wants to investigate the characteristic light of places that have attracted artists for generations. His research into the interconnectedness of light, art and place is not simply an academic exercise; he wants to experience these environments first-hand and gather material for his developing book.
His base is near Salon-de-Provence, with the Abbey of Sainte-Croix providing an atmospheric setting for exploring the landscape and its changing light. Local artists and students introduce him to the area, and the evenings are reserved for cultural discoveries.
One evening brings a performance of traditional Provençal folk dance. David chooses folk dance because he appreciates the skill and energy involved when traditional cultural forms are performed at a professional level. Afterwards, dinner takes an unexpected international turn: sashimi. Apparently, even in Provence, there is room for a little Japanese influence.
From France, the expedition heads towards the Cyclades, the Greek islands scattered across the Aegean Sea. Before settling into island life, however, there is a sporting appointment in Athens. David chooses to watch a professional football match, something he has never experienced live at that level. The imaginary fixture is the United States against Greece. There may be some patriotic tension in the stands, but the important thing is the spectacle, atmosphere and shared excitement of the occasion.
The next destination is the South Pacific, with Bora Bora providing a welcome change of scenery. Here, the cultural programme includes a rather unusual gallery experience. This one uses virtual reality to allow visitors to step inside famous paintings, exploring them in three dimensions rather than simply viewing them from the other side of a frame.
David's choice is Georgia O'Keeffe's The Lawrence Tree. The painting presents the view upwards through the branches of a tree towards the night sky. David is particularly interested in the possibility of experiencing the composition from different positions, even rotating the work to appreciate its visual structure from different directions. For an artist fascinated by perception, perspective and the relationship between the natural world and visual experience, this is an opportunity that is difficult to resist.
The international journey continues, but there is one more cultural challenge: a year spent listening to just one musical genre. David has no hesitation in choosing Brazilian jazz, particularly the music of Antônio Carlos Jobim. It provides the soundtrack for travelling between destinations, working in the studio and enjoying the occasional evening away from the research.
Back in London, the programme becomes rather more concentrated. Five evenings a week are dedicated to experiencing different forms of performance.
Monday begins with a trip back in time to Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, where David finally gets to see Frank Sinatra perform. The setting is his preferred kind of venue: intimate, atmospheric and a world away from the scale of a stadium concert. The imagined evening takes place during Sinatra's 1970s era, with the Woody Herman big band adding to the occasion.
Tuesday is reserved for Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre. David is keen to experience the work in a theatrical environment that connects the audience with the traditions of live performance. Measure for Measure makes the programme, offering an introduction to Shakespeare through a play that combines comedy, power, morality and human complications.
Wednesday brings musical theatre and a particular appreciation for Stephen Sondheim. His work has long appealed to David, and the evening is devoted to enjoying the musical storytelling and theatrical craft that make Sondheim's compositions so distinctive.
Thursday is opera night at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Rather than choosing one complete opera, David would prefer an evening of celebrated arias, bringing together memorable music from composers such as Puccini, Verdi and Mozart. It is an opportunity to experience some of the most recognisable moments in operatic music without having to choose just one production.
Friday is film night, and the choice is Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Ideally, it is shown on an enormous screen with exceptional sound, giving the film the scale and visual impact it deserves. It is a fitting choice for someone whose interests include physics, the universe, humanity and the bigger questions about where everything might be heading.
There is one final lunch before the year draws to a close. The setting is an excellent sashimi restaurant, and David has the opportunity to invite anyone from history, culture or imagination to join him.
His choice is Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the philosopher whose book has remained important to him. David wants to discuss how the world has changed since the philosopher's lifetime and, more importantly, discover what he would make of the modern world. Given the extraordinary scope of his thinking, it would probably be a conversation that needed considerably more than two hours.
And so the year ends much as it began: with curiosity, art, conversation and an interest in how everything connects.
David Madasci's contact details.
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Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM
Chief Culture Vulture
Arts & Culture Network
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