No one seems more surprised than Frans Lotz that the work in his show, Frank Alley, at the Slate Gallery in Regina until April 17, is selling, given that it’s “pretty grungy-looking stuff.”
No mistake there. Lotz has been making hyper-real sculptures that would be at home in an alley in a rough part of town – except for their diminutive proportions. His miniatures – “about the size of a really big sandwich,” he offers – come complete with scrapes and graffiti tags. Sometimes he even tosses in a couple of soiled mattresses.
Frans Lotz, “Moving Out Day,” 2021
fabric, 5" x 6" x 6" (courtesy of the artist; photo by Gabriela Garcia-Luna)
Lotz, who was born in South Africa but grew up mostly in Regina, completed his Bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 2015 at the University of Regina and worked as a studio assistant for the late Joe Fafard.
Playing with scale is a standard approach to sculpture – his previous work includes miniature hand tools, a bicycle and a dart board – so Lotz questions his originality.
“Sometimes, I think it’s a bit of an unimaginative approach,” he says. “But it’s what I enjoy doing.”
He chooses his subjects – this show also includes metal fire escapes from older buildings – because something about them, the visual rhythm, perhaps, or some amusing element, catches his eye.
Frans Lotz, “Scarth,” 2021
painted steel, 16" x 21" x 4.5" (courtesy of the artist; photo by Gabriela Garcia-Luna)
Lotz begins by sketching them from multiple angles, and prides himself on not measuring or making scaled plans.
“It doesn’t matter to me if the proportions are the same," he says. "Sometimes it’s better, even if they’re not.”
He requires little in the way of supplies. A bit of sheet metal, a few nails, and of course paint for the final patina. It’s only toward the end of each project, with brush in hand, that he says he starts to feel like an artist.
“I think about the way the sunlight fades a certain part of it, or where rainwater might collect and rust an area of the object, or where the garbage truck might run into it.”
Frans Lotz, “Moon Walker,” 2021
painted steel and fabric, 6.5" x 4.5" x 7.5" (courtesy of the artist; photo by Gabriela Garcia-Luna)
He usually hands each dumpster over to a graffiti artist for the final touches. He tried to draw tags himself, but says they are better left to the pros. “It’s an art form I really respect.”
But why dumpsters? “I’m kind of fond of alleys,” he says. “If I’m walking somewhere, I’ll walk down the alley instead of the street.” It seems to be the honesty of the alley that attracts him – unlike front yards, where people typically put on a show for their neighbours. “If you’re walking down the alley, you see a bit more of how people actually live.” ■
Frans Lotz, Frank Alley, at the Slate Fine Art Gallery in Regina from March 11 to April 17, 2021. Also showing is Boreal Boulders by Regina painter Greg Allen.
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Slate Fine Art Gallery
3424 13 Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan S4T 1P7
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Tues to Fri 11 am - 5:30 pm, Sat 11 am - 4 pm