Klaus Dupont: Joyous Compositions

The artist Klaus Dupont transforms old finds into new objects - seldom have these old pieces been more cheerfully staged than at his workshop in Berlin Maobit.

The favorite place of passionate collector Klaus Dupont: at his Berlin workshop, everything old is dismantled and transformed into something new

Function-less beauty: Klarus Dupont's objects are bizarre, unique and joyful

Klaus Dupont gained the initial inspiration for his work at a visit to the Dresden 'Green Vault'; Berlins flea market is his treasure trove. Here, the passionate collector finds little gems out of which he creates beautiful and mostly function-less unique pieces. By strolling around antique shops, flea markets and mineral fairs, this experienced furniture restorer finds pieces from all over the world including metal parts and household objects.

Coral, Murano glass beads, brass animals - just some of the items uniquely combined by this Berlin artist in his works

Coral, Murano glass beads, brass animals - just some of the items uniquely combined by this Berlin artist in his works

Coral, Murano glass beads, brass animals - just some of the items uniquely combined by this Berlin artist in his works

He never stops looking - everywhere he could find everyday items just waiting for him to be transformed into unique sculptures: candle holders, door knockers, antlers, cut minerals, animal figures, exotic nuts - nothing is safe from this specialist in discarded objects. At his Berlin workshop, the 65 year old dismantles these acquired possessions and brings them back to a new, individualized and artistic life through his unique compositions. His workshop and attached sales rooms conceal a host of surprises in every corner that it is hard to know where to look first. He is also increasingly acquiring new treasures from old brass, bronze and metal elements. Also fascinating are the materials Klaus Dupont has been using to create his unique and stylish showpieces for the last 15 years - glass beads, coral, antelope horns, brass figures, colored stones, animals' teeth and metal components. Each piece is given a hand-crafted marble or wooden base which is coated with five to seven layers of a special acrylic-water varnish mix and then made to look like marble using fine brush strokes. His valuable and striking collection of objects stretch up to the skies, attached to a threaded rod - each individual item being a joyous and unique compilation of objects: galloping horses carry luminous balls of Murano glass on their backs upon which are pieces of fiery red coral; a faun carries a torch of glass balls and coral, a fish grows a tree-like form from its open mouth. Klaus Dupont's pieces are like exhibits from a Baroque treasure trove of delights, sometimes magnificently bizarre, sometimes simply unique in the truest sense of the word. It takes a few attempts for the artist to find the right combination of elements: he threads, sands, sews and paints and then examines his work, sometimes making more changes. They all bear the stamp of this artist as each unique piece expresses the passion and joy he used to create it. His items are treasured by those with a soft spot for something striking - all across Europe: from Hamburg to Zurich, Berlin and Vienna, his pieces are only sold in top furniture stores.

www.duponts.de