Adam Mendes: Sculpting Neurons into the Physical World

Adam Mendes
Adam Mendes

The mind of Adam Mendes is a fantastic and unusual place, as are most worlds which seem unfamiliar and challenging. Mendes is an artist who has tested his creativity in many venues and has always discovered the means to balance beauty and originality, even to the point of questioning what beauty truly is. From his role manifesting the visions of television productions like TLC’s hit show Candy Queen to his work for the iconic James Magni’s Magni Home Collection to fabrications and designs for Moth Designs and his present sculpture offerings, Adam epitomizes the modern artist who finds financial means and creative expression a wager that complements both himself and the present day definition of art. Through his own career path, Mr. Mendes exhibits that art is a way of approaching life rather than an island to which one is confined.

The Côté in Baked White
The Côté in Baked White

Adam recalls his early days working alongside Shannon Shapiro at custom luxury lighting company Moth Design with establishing a tone of how to apply his skills to “practical” endeavors. He states, “We drew every spec by hand back then and we found it was the best way to ultimately wrap our heads around the original concepts and engineering.” As a production manager for esteemed companies including the aforementioned Magni Home Collection as well as vintage-modern furniture specialists Lawson-Fenning, Adam has become a part of the lineage which connects the public to the artistry of interior design pieces. Art does not need to be hung on the wall of a museum to be appreciated and Mr. Mendes has spent decades collaborating with those who share this ethos. 

The Côté with Charcoal exterior
The Côté with Charcoal exterior

Millions have experience the work of Adam Mendes through the TLC series Candy Queen which he jokingly refers to this production as his 7.5 minutes of fame. While the numerous twenty-hour-days were at times arduous, he credits this time with elevating his ability to be creative under immense pressure and time constraints. As a result of his time on Candy Queen, Mr. Mendes created over thirty sculptures for an art exhibit in Kaohsiung, Taiwan which he describes as fun and whimsical with the added bonus of being an ideal way to experience such a vibrant city and its people.

The Ray in Obsidian
The Ray in Obsidian

Artistic vision demands that we consider alternative perspectives. In doing so, it does not embrace a dichotomy but instead calls us to embrace multiple interpretations of the same source. Upon this theme, Adam Mendes has crafted original sculpture works which beg the public to consider the artist’s intention while musing upon their own definition. Adam’s creation of a series of high-end cast bronze sculptures was recently launched. Among these modern inspired pieces are The Ray and The Côté. Available in both Obsidian and Obsidian and aged bronze, The Ray is a representation of the first moments in which life blossoms, with tilted “head” caught in a moment of contemplation. The Côtè has a corporeal form comprised of organic curves, imbued with a sense of warmth courtesy of its integrated light. Its two versions, baked white exterior with semi-polished bronze interior or a modeled charcoal exterior with semi-polished bronze interior, presents two iterations of a common theme. Mendes reveals his personal approach to this work stating, “To me, sculpting and creating has always seemed to defy natures intention. It’s a way where I can create this thing in the real life that was previously just a bunch of neurons and electrons firing off in my head. I want someone to have a sense of familiarity when they see these sculptures even though it might be the first time they are looking at it. I want each piece to be viewed not just as something should be, but as though it has life to it. There is atomic life within the bronze. I want someone to look at something that is essentially a big chunk of mineral as an element that does actually have life, it is changing for real.”

The Ray in Obsidian and aged bronze
The Ray in Obsidian and aged bronze

IG: @ADAMMENDESSTUDIO 

Writer: Patty Sklar

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