"Canadian-based sculptor Vanessa Paschakarnis has received critical acclaim for her bold abstract imagery and sensitive treatment of materials. Although inanimate objects, the artist's work clearly calls to mind the presence of an individual; forms such as her shields symbolically refer to protective devices yet physically reflect the fact that they are human, rather than machine made. The simplicity of Paschakarnis' forms suggests often impersonal, objects of contemporary life. As a result viewers are confronted with imagery that seems at once ancient and new. Born and trained in Germany, Paschakarnis received her MFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of Sculpture at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas." (Joe Becherer, Director Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park).
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Installation Views [Photos: Courtesy of Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park and Vanessa Paschakarnis]
Drawing for Celestial Bell, 2003:
Oil pastell and pencil on paper, 60" x 60" (174 cm x 174 cm)
Drawing for Cape Breton Shield, 2006:
Pencil on paper, 48" x 96" (118 cm x 235 cm), steel frame
Drawing for Black Shield, 2006:
Pencil on paper, 96" x 48" (235 cm x 118 cm), steel frame
The Cape Breton Shield, 2005:
Red Cape Breton Marble; 48” x 60” x 10” (122 x 150 x 25 cm);
Marble Cube; 24” x 24” x 24” (60 x 60 x 60 cm)
The Black Shield, 2006:
1 element, Bronze 68” x 54” x 28” (172 x 137 x 70 cm)
Facing the Sky, (Masks) 2001 (1/8):
3 elements, bronze patinated, each app. 20” x 12” x 7”;
(50 x 30 x 18 cm) mounted to the wall higher than eye-level
» see also "Drawing for Celestial Bell", "The Cape Breton Shield", "The Black Shield", "Facing the Sky"
June 2007 – Copyright Vanessa Paschakarnis
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