Large Sculpture Artist Esmoreit Koetsier

The artist standing next to the piece “Compression” located at Irvine Valley College in Southern California. Like several other pieces, the round holes at the extremities actually serve a purpose: they help reduce the weight of these extremities and improve balance. The entire piece has to be very carefully engineered.

We are very pleased to introduce prolific artist Esmoreit Koetsier. He makes both large and small industrial abstract artwork such as the piece “Compression” seen above. His work is exhibited in both private collections and in public places, from the Paso Robles Wine Country in California to the collection of Senator John Edwards in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to the The Fluor Corporation building in Irving, Texas.

Interview Questions:

In a few sentences, this is what my business does:
I’m an artist, a sculptor.

My typical work environment is:
I work out of a workshop in my home.

The training or education that is required for my type of business is:
Experience is as valuable as education. Education gives a good foundation to start this type of work. Coursework related to mechanical design and CAD has been very helpful as well. The structures I build are made primarily of metal and I make them so that the illusion is that they are light and effortlessly balanced. The truth is that they are extremely heavy so they need to be properly braced with internal support requiring considerable engineering know-how.

To me, being part of the gig economy means:
I never really considered myself part of the gig economy. I suppose there are some similarities, but my pieces aren’t really gigs because of how long they take to make, sometimes more than a year goes into a single sculpture. Mostly, I just focus on my artwork.

The benefits of my type of work are:
I enjoy the flexibility of working on my art at my own pace. There is a lot of planning involved from the initial design work to buying materials, to finally constructing he piece. This isn’t really possible in a 9-5 setting.

“Dreamline” is part of a smaller series for display indoors and is constructed of other materials such as sustainably-sourced wood. One customer referred to these pieces as the Rock-n-Roll series, because of their names, like “Red Barchetta” and “Analog Kid.” They definitely have a contemporary vibe and are in very high demand.

The difficulties I encountered starting a business were:
Understanding & refining my business goals. Art is a cyclical business, while there are slow times, there are also times when there is a significant demand for pieces. I then have less time to develop the business side of it; when things like marketing, websites, doing shows, working with galleries and being involved with the art community become more difficult. This is not to say it is not important, but balancing them is one of the big difficulties that I think many artists struggle with.

The way I use/leverage social media is:
Other than my website, the only social media I use is Linked In. I use it primarily as a research and communication tool about the art community and other artists.

Integrating technology into my business is:
The main software package I rely on is Solidworks. This is a mechanical design tool that helps me visualize designs, it also allows me to execute designs into finished products. Of course, I also use MS Office, Photoshop, project management and accounting software, but that’s true for every business I think.

"Making it" and success in the gig economy to me means:
I don't like to add titles to the goal posts, as they say. If there is any goal that I would like to reach, it would be a recurring stream where people who buy my art are satisfied with the pieces that they purchase. Art should be appreciated every day, so if I can put a smile on their faces every day, then I am “making it.”

“Balance” was originally designed as a large white public sculpture…

…but it was reborn in midnight blue when it was sold to a private collection.

The way I balance work and personal time is:
I make a real effort to balance work and personal time. My work will always be there, but you don't get personal time back. Family is very important to me so I try to spend as much time with them as I can. I do set deadlines for myself and I work very hard to meet those, but there has to be balance in life - this is why I do this work, because it gives me that balance.

The pandemic impacted my business by:
Because my work is rather solitary, the lock-downs had little effect on my art business. I do think that the official response had a catastrophic effect on thousands of small businesses, especially those that are related to the art world, from galleries to print shops to the artists themselves. I sincerely hope that they are able to recover, for their sake, and for the sake or art.

The way that diversity impacts my business is:
This has impact on my business because of the type of work that I do.

“Everything in life is a balancing act, and my art is the ultimate expression of that fact.”

- Esmoreit Koetsier

The future of my business and/or the gig economy is:
I want to keep growing my business in a sustainable manner. I am keenly aware of the impact that mining metals, sourcing wood, and manufacturing paints all have on the environment. This in turn impacts the foods we eat and the air we breathe. I firmly believe in art, but it has to be balanced with responsible behavior. I suppose my goal is to continue to strive to find that balance.

One piece of useful advice I would give to others is:
I work on my art primarily alone, but I can’t run a business alone. So my advice is to be open minded with the business and be willing to change and to listen to others.

You can find out more about Esmoreit Koetsier and his amazing artwork on his website:

www.EsmoreitKoetsier.com