Pascal Biography
-Pascal Art
Pascal
The sculpture of Pascal is a fine example of the compelling quality of wood. Pascal is a Frenchman who settled in Santa Fe in 1997. Prior to that time, he had gained a European reputation as a promising young sculptor. He fielded a series of solo exhibitions in France and Switzerland, and worked on collaborative projects with Pierre Cardin and others.
Pascal's career has blossomed in America. He has been awarded several commissions for large-scale installations. Galleries and collectors alike have responded to the simplicity of his approach, which balances geometric abstraction with organic form. There is an undertone of symbolism as well, a hieroglyphic shorthand that hints at other visual languages.
Pascal was influenced from a very young age by his grandfather, a wood sculptor. It was from him that Pascal developed his love for wood and his passion for working with it. He creates an extraordinary range of abstract meditations that seem to arise directly from the material itself, rather than from a conscious plan. He has an extraordinary rapport with his materials, concocting his own varnishes and resins as well as creating bronze-like patinas on non-metallic surfaces. He works with a variety of precious woods and creates sculptures that express the texture, aroma, and strength of each.
He considers wood to be a feminine material -- warm, colorful, full of surprises, and not always easy to control. Therefore, many of his sculptures have a feminine cast, with elegantly swelling contours and subtle curves. Conversely, he sometimes works with more angular, masculine themes such as his Fleche (Arrow) series and the wood responds with a robust presence.
Pascal's technique is interactive. Each work of art is characterized by a graceful balance, a meticulous attention to detail. Even as he carves and burnishes, he allows the piece to guide him. "Wood has its own intelligence", he says. "It knows many things, and it teaches them to me. In this way, I understand what I want to do with it, so that the final image reflects its innate qualities as well as my own thoughts and feelings."
Pascal was born in 1962 in St. Rafael, France. Educated in San Rafael, France; San Diego, Ca; Pietra Santa, Italy. Collaboration for urban project, architect Anti Lovag; assistant muralist, "Palais-Bulle," a house sculpture, for Pierre Cardin. National Artist Registry, Art in Architecture USA; Art in Embassies Program, USA
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2007 Houston, Texas, Logan Fine Arts - Santa Fe, New Mexico, 707 Contemporary - La Jolla, California, Contemporary Fine Art Gallery - Chicago, Illinois, Fonction + Art - Las Cruces, New Mexico, Museum of Fine Arts
2005 Santa Fe, New Mexico, 707 Contemporary
2004 Scottsdale, Arizona, Calvin Charles Gallery Aspen, Colorado, Aspen International Art - Santa Fe, New Mexico, 707 Contemporary - La Jolla, California, Contemporary Fine Art Gallery
2003 Santa Fe, New Mexico 707 Contemporary - La Jolla, California, Contemporary Fine Art Gallery - Aspen, Colorado, Aspen International Art Gallery - Atlanta, Georgia, Trinity Gallery
2002 Santa Fe, New Mexico, Expression in Fine Art
2001 Santa Fe, New Mexico, Expression in Fine Art - Palm Desert, California Soho Gallery
2000 Santa Fe, New Mexico, Expression in Fine Art
1999 Palm Desert, California, Soho Gallery
1998 Santa Fe, New Mexico, Waxlander/Khadoure Gallery
1997 Aspen, Colorado, Miranda Galleries - Santa Fe, New Mexico, Waxlander/Khadoure Gallery
1996 Saint Moritz, Switzerland, Suvretta Hotel - Geneve/Cologny, Le Manoir de Cologny Switzerland
1995 Mougins, France, Gallerie du Lavoir
1994 Theoule/Mer, France, Club de Port la Galere - Theoule/Mer, France, Galliere Pierre Cardin
1993 Valbonne, France, Espace d'art Contemporain - Cannes, France, Galerie 17
1992 Besancon, France, Galerie des Quais
1991 Grenboble, France, Espace Totem - Tourtour, France Moulin a Huile
1989 Tourtour, France, Gallerie Revelli