YVES PAQUETTE
QUICK FACTSYears As An Artist
23 years Main Clay Body Vitreous White Low-Fire Primary Clay Building Methods Slip Casting, Hand build and Wheel Throwing Favorite Studio Tool Sponge Clay Wishes or Dreams Eventually to build a bigger studio |
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ARTIST STATEMENT
My approach to creating installations is similar to the way a good contemporary novelist writes a series of books, carrying characters and situations from one work to the next, while still telling a unique and interesting story each time. Beginning with my first installation and continuing through my most recent, there is an evolution in the work – in concept, form and materials – yet there is always some continuity that I find comforting.
My work usually reflects some aspect of my personal life experience. Change is essential, challenging and healthy, but an abrupt change would be too disconcerting. In my previous installations I used concrete objects (variations on the leaf, for example) to communicate an idea, feeling or ideal. The objects work individually, but through the recurrent and contextual use of these objects, they were elevated to an almost iconic quality.
In my latest installation I am using dozens of different objects that throughout time have become universal, cross-cultural symbols or icons. Grouped together these symbols represent a multitude of everyday experiences and relationships that make up a life in today’s society. The objects or ideas from which I derive my sculptural forms are usually simple and not too mysterious to the viewer. As a goal, I remove the objects from their natural or functional contexts to challenge the viewer’s perceptions and create a sense of mystery. I never abstract beyond recognition, but by exaggerating, minimizing or distorting certain aspects, I work to bring the objects closer to the viewer and to raise questions. What is this for? What does it do? How do these things relate to each other? Craftsmanship and aesthetics continue to be important to me, as well as the usage of a variety of materials and techniques. With each form I want to show the essential beauty of these objects, and I strive to combine these elements harmoniously in my installation.
My work usually reflects some aspect of my personal life experience. Change is essential, challenging and healthy, but an abrupt change would be too disconcerting. In my previous installations I used concrete objects (variations on the leaf, for example) to communicate an idea, feeling or ideal. The objects work individually, but through the recurrent and contextual use of these objects, they were elevated to an almost iconic quality.
In my latest installation I am using dozens of different objects that throughout time have become universal, cross-cultural symbols or icons. Grouped together these symbols represent a multitude of everyday experiences and relationships that make up a life in today’s society. The objects or ideas from which I derive my sculptural forms are usually simple and not too mysterious to the viewer. As a goal, I remove the objects from their natural or functional contexts to challenge the viewer’s perceptions and create a sense of mystery. I never abstract beyond recognition, but by exaggerating, minimizing or distorting certain aspects, I work to bring the objects closer to the viewer and to raise questions. What is this for? What does it do? How do these things relate to each other? Craftsmanship and aesthetics continue to be important to me, as well as the usage of a variety of materials and techniques. With each form I want to show the essential beauty of these objects, and I strive to combine these elements harmoniously in my installation.
ARTIST BIO
Yves Paquette is a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Prior to his arrival in Georgia, Paquette taught ceramics and sculpture at North Central College in suburban Chicago and Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC. He received his MFA from Ohio University and BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.
Paquette uses a wide range of materials in his ever-evolving sculptural installations, which are usually dominated by ceramics objects. In his most recent work, Paquette uses combinations of organic and symbolic forms, which take on an iconic quality.
Paquette has been featured as an Emerging Talent by the National Council on Education for the Ceramics Arts. He has received an Artist Fellowship, a Project Grant and an Emerging Artist Grant from the North Carolina Arts and Science Council. Most recently in 2003, Paquette was the recipient of a Presidential Fellowship from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Paquette has most recently had solo exhibitions in the Southeastern United States and participates in international and national juried exhibitions. He has also presented lectures and workshops in Canada and the United States.
Paquette uses a wide range of materials in his ever-evolving sculptural installations, which are usually dominated by ceramics objects. In his most recent work, Paquette uses combinations of organic and symbolic forms, which take on an iconic quality.
Paquette has been featured as an Emerging Talent by the National Council on Education for the Ceramics Arts. He has received an Artist Fellowship, a Project Grant and an Emerging Artist Grant from the North Carolina Arts and Science Council. Most recently in 2003, Paquette was the recipient of a Presidential Fellowship from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Paquette has most recently had solo exhibitions in the Southeastern United States and participates in international and national juried exhibitions. He has also presented lectures and workshops in Canada and the United States.
CONTACT INFO
Visit Yves' website, http://www.paquetteart.com/, to find out where you can purchase his work. Feel free to message him directly from his "Contact" page with inquiries.