Wednesday 26 January 2011

Paul Villinski

Paul Villinski - Consonance - seen here























I have recently discovered the work of American artist Paul Villinski. He has a particular focus on the reclaimed and recycled in his practice. The pieces he has made using found gloves are particularly captivating. The artist finds lost work gloves on the streets and uses hand sewing, gilding or drawing to bring them into a new existence as art. The wing pieces (mostly from the early to mid 1990's) are incredibly striking, but I actually like the quietness and profundity of those with gilded finger tips.

Paul Villinski - Lift - seen here

9 comments:

  1. Beautiful work and more than that,I enjoyed his other work on his website, thanks, x Renilde

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  2. Wonderful, I'm going to share on fashionlink Thank you for another great inspiring artist.

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  3. Yes, I had seen his work a few years ago... & just fallen in love with it.... Thank you for reintroducing me.

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  4. Thanks for your comments everyone! Glad you enjoyed. The light pieces on his website are really interesting too I think.

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  5. I remember finding images a couple of years ago of the walls of vinyl records moulded into flying butterflies by Paul Villinski. Thanks for the reminder. It's good to revisit things and see them afresh.

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  6. I do love being introduced to artists, especially through wonderful sites such as yours. How amazingly evocative are these glove pieces?! Their simple presence so undeniably figurative - encapsulating an entity in whole, or parts removed like divided memories. Of course I am immediately drawn to the winged pieces where fingers trace the air like feathers... and again there's no surprise that his flying machines send a wee quiver down my spine ;-)

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  7. Thanks Lesley - The butterfly series is very interesting - seems to be an ongoing theme...

    Thanks v much helicopter6! I like all the connotations of valuing the workman's gloves and by association his hands and his work...and in turn questions about the role of the artist.

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  8. The winged piece reminds me of my friends work Annie Whiles. She sculpted quite a few winged pieces way back. She now creates embroidered pieces, but they have a similar quality. Archetypal almost.
    I too love the gilded glove, reminds me of the Hawks Conservancy in Alton, especially with the winged pieces. Interesting.

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  9. Hi Helen! Thanks for visiting. Just checked out Annie Whiles - very interesting - guess you met her at Wimbledon? Yes, hadn't made that connection to falconry...there's a whole other conversation there!

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