Honoring the past with the the Fresh Vision of artist, Patrick Luber
"...especially the idea of the “spiritualize of materials”, and the idea of transforming everyday discarded objects/materials into something beautiful."
Patrick Luber
How does your work interact with the theme of “A Generous Kingdom V: Art that Explores Story, Symbolism, and Beyond”?
We inhabit a generous kingdom—the earth—given to us by the Creator. As an artist, part of my job is to be a steward of all things in this generous kingdom, including honoring the generous gift of creative imagination.
Does the idea of transformation influence your work and process?
Yes, primarily in the transformation of materials, especially the idea of the “spiritualize of materials”, and the idea of transforming everyday discarded objects/materials into something beautiful.
What draws you to the medium you chose? And tell us a little about your process (I don’t believe in giving it all away).
I have always had an interest in wood and found objects/materials and artistic mediums—and bring these two material interests together in my relief sculptures. I like wood for its versatility as a construction material and found objects for their metaphoric potential. My interest in using aluminum beverage cans is an outgrowth of my admiration of hammered/punched tin work often found in 19thC. Mexican folkart. I especially like how these artisans repurposed and transformed found objects and discarded materials to make something entirely new. My basic working procedure is to first fabricate a wood substructure—and then cover the substructure with aluminum beverage cans. The cans are nailed to the wood substructure with thousands of small brass-plated wire brad nails.