MM: Who or what are your biggest artistic influences/inspirations? 

RN: Strong artistic influences include Goya, William Blake, Tintoretto, James Ensor, Edvard Munch. Surrealists like Wolfgang Paalen and also contemporary artists like Glenn Brown and Sergej Bratkov. HP Lovecraft in literature.

WT: The artist I admire most is the Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi. His totemic sculpture, the ‘Bird in Space’, has been the single most influential work for me. It is fair to say that I might not have taken up sculpture if I hadn’t attempted to carve a facsimile of it.

Other sculptors such as Rodin, Moore, Epstein and Hepworth, particularly the latter two, have also been strong influences.

One artist who sits aside from these, for whom I have a particular admiration for, is H. R. Giger.

MM: Do you find that you inspire each other?  Have you been influenced by each other's work?

RN: Our works are independent, but also related at the same time. In addition to an aesthetic that is certainly very close, our work is always preceded by intellectual, conceptual processes.

The concepts are always our own, we can support each other very strongly in terms of material, location or space: we speak the same language aesthetically, have a very similar sensitivity and a strong focus on what is underlying and the shape implied.

WT: I often assist Rita with her work and I am sometimes a physical prop, appearing in various pictures, mercifully covered up, usually by material, so that my identity is not revealed, but rather my body provides the outline or suggestion of a human shape. This always provides inspiration for me, as it allows me to play the part of a living sculpture and in turn gives me endless creative ideas.
 

MM: How do you decide when a sculpture is finished? Is there a particular feeling or moment that tells you it's complete?

WT: Some of my sculptures take a very long time to complete.

The most recent piece, ‘Kuiper Shard’, took more than 4 years. I tend to work on a few pieces at the same time, constantly moning back and forth from one to the other. I find it a much more satisfying working method, as carving, though very satisfying most of the time, can be monotonous and repetitive and it helps to put something aside when encountering problems, create some distance, then come back to it with fresh eyes. With pieces that are less detailed, it is fairly easy to know when they are nearing completion. Those which are more intricate or abstract, like Kuiper Shard for example, can appear to be finished one day, then after further inspection the following day, work will recommence and it will be months before it is completed. 

MM: Do you each have a favourite piece or one that you are most proud of/that has a special meaning or significance to you?

RN: It's always what I've just realized that's closest to me/new works also tell me something new about myself and my art. Looking back, different images appeal to me more at different times, which then lead me down new paths.

WT: To date the piece that I am happiest with and most proud of is the bronze Ibis.  This was originally carved from oak and it has singular importance, as it was only after finishing it, that I felt confident enough to pursue a career as a sculptor.

MM: What was the most challenging piece to create? How do you overcome challenges in your creative process?

RN: I find it difficult to answer this with regard to a particular work, it applies more to specific implementation processes. For example, in the past, it was a challenge to capture a person's absence as a visual idea. For a long time this was a challenge that was associated with a number of dead ends and wrong turns.

WT: Again it was the Ibis. Oak is a difficult wood to carve. It has an unforgiving grain and tends to split easily. There were many occasions when I thought it was too much of a challenge and very nearly gave up. However, I am stubborn and managed to stick with it. It taught me an important lesson: never to rush anything and to persevere when problems arise; there are always solutions if you have the patience to find them.

MM: Do you have similar preoccupations, as far as your work goes? 

WT: Within art, definitely. Our enthusiasm is for the hidden, the quiet and the constant far more than for the ironic, the cynical and loud.

MM: When/how did the idea for this exhibition come about? 

RN: The idea of an empty house inspired us to show our art together on this ‘tabula rasa’. From this space of no more and not yet, we expect an atmosphere in which our works will be particularly effective.

MM: What is the advantage of having the show in a private house rather than a gallery? 

WT: In our opinion, this intimate space of emptiness fits very well with the aesthetics and message of our work.