All images © by Paul Nitsche 1991-2024.
Sculpture
Figure Twenty Two.-The Fetal Crown
2018. 15.5”h x 9”w x 9”d.
Human fetal tibias and ulnas, Bronze, Mahogany, Resin, Blown glass, Gold Leaf, Silk, Acrylic, Hardware.
A crown of leaves upon the crown of the head. The cross of mending fetal skull plates and the crossing of bones. Youth and death, the echos within life.
Custom bell jar by Richard Jones at Studio Paran.
My sculpture Experientia Nostra Ossiferous will be exhibited for the first time at the Freeport Art Museum in the If You Only Knew show.
From the shows announcement:
Have you ever looked at a piece of art and wished you could talk to the artist to better understand what you were seeing? What stories lie behind art and what exactly does it all mean? If that's the case, If You Only Knew may be the exhibition for you. Beginning on September 8th, viewers have the rare opportunity to discover truths behind one of a kind works of art from the artists themselves. From what originated as a 5 week group exhibition showcased at the Old Court House Arts Center located in Woodstock, IL, FAM is proud to present this intriguing exhibition. If You Only Knew breaks down the barriers between artist and viewer through letters personally written by each artist. Steeped in mystery and surprise, these letters hold the key to unlocking revelations about each artist and the work they have created. Whether funny, heartfelt, shocking, or private, it is up to the visitors to discover what lies behind the art displayed before them. Who knows what mysteries await?
The exhibition opening will be on 5-8 pm September 8, 2018 and the show will run to November 3, 2018. I will be there at the opening and look forward to discussing my sculpture.
Freeport Art Museum
121 N. Harlem Ave.
Freeport, IL
815-235-9755
Special thank you to Joe and Kathleen Isacson for curating the show.
Figure Eighteen.- Experientia Nostra Ossiferous (Our Ossiferous Experience)
2014-2018. 9”h x 16.5”w x 16.5”d.
Human mandible, Bronze, Mahogany, Resin, Blown glass, Gold leaf, Silk, Acrylic, Hardware.
Figure Eighteen.- Experientia Nostra Ossiferous (Our Ossiferous Experience)
2014-2018. 19”h x 16.5”w x 16.5”d.
Human mandible, Bronze, Mahogany, Resin, Blown glass, Gold leaf, Silk, Acrylic, Hardware.
Experientia Nostra Ossiferous is a sculpture that blends the forms of the reliquary with the anatomical display. In a parallel sense, it draws its visual inspiration from myth, the Roman god Janus, and a rare congenital defect, diprosopus. Janus is the god of time, beginnings and endings. The Janus Head is characterized by two faces, one looking to the future, one to the past. Diprosopus, also known as cranialfacial duplication, is an extremely rare disorder whereby facial features are replicated to a certain degree.
Bone holds its history and can be read like rings on a tree. As it grows and lengthens, as it breaks and mends, all can be told in diagnostic imaging. The title of the sculpture could be translated to "Our Ossiferous Existence", an existence we all move through, and like the Janus Head, hold one face to the future and one to the past.
Bell jar made by Richard Jones at Studio Paran.
A Change of Heart
Painting by Karen Halt, Sculpture by Paul Nitsche
2018. 21" x 13" x 3"
Acrylic, Resin, Gold Leaf, Wood
My piece with Wisconsin painter Karen Halt will be shown as part of the Collaboration show at Abel Contemporary Gallery, July 27th to September 9th, 2018. The opening reception will be July 27th. A catalogue of all the collaborative works, along with commentary from the artist pairs, will be available for purchase.
From the Gallery Website:
"Abel Contemporary Gallery invited artists in our collection to collaborate with one another on an art work that blends their unique styles and themes. Though the process of creating art is often thought of as a solitary process, compelling artists to work together transforms this trope as pairs communicate and cooperate. Encouraged to leave their comfort zone, sometimes working with materials they are unaccustomed with, the artists create work with a new emphasis and unique results."
I will be exhibiting five sculptures at Abel Contemporary Gallery, in Belleville, WI, as part of their Exquisite show, running from July 28-September 10, 2017. The sculptures are all pieces I have not exhibited at the gallery before. The show will also be the debut of my paper doll piece, The Anatomy Lesson.
The works I will be exhibiting are: The Anatomy Lesson, Ossis Fateor Memoria, Beneath the Remnant Veil, The Ephemeral Knot, and To Stand Against in Witness.
From the Abel Contemporary Gallery announcement:
"Unabashedly beautiful, the objects in this exhibit showcase the work of artists who have refined their craft to a degree that can only be described as exquisite."
Other participating artists : Wilde, Schulte, Schoonover, Czechowski, Calderwood, S. Byers, Apgar, Abel.
I will be attending the opening reception on Friday, July 28th, 5-9 pm, and hope to see you there.
Figure Twenty One.- The Anatomy Lesson.
2001-2017. 11”h x 33.25”w x 2.75”d.
Lithography, Acrylic, Mahogany, Bronze, Fabric, Glass.
Drafted in 2001, this sequence of paper dolls were drawn on a lithography stone at the University of Wisconsin and printed with the help of Lithography Professor and printmaking master, Jack Damer. Some may recognize the dolls from my design of Oneiroid Psychosis' 2001 release, DREAMS (with pollutions when virile).
Figure Twenty One.- The Anatomy Lesson.
2001-2017. 11”h x 33.25”w x 2.75”d.
Lithography, Acrylic, Mahogany, Bronze, Fabric, Glass.
Figure Twenty One.- The Anatomy Lesson, detail.
2001-2017. 11”h x 33.25”w x 2.75”d.
Lithography, Acrylic, Mahogany, Bronze, Fabric, Glass.
Figure Twenty One.- The Anatomy Lesson, detail.
2001-2017. 11”h x 33.25”w x 2.75”d.
Lithography, Acrylic, Mahogany, Bronze, Fabric, Glass.
Figure Twenty One.- The Anatomy Lesson, detail.
2001-2017. 11”h x 33.25”w x 2.75”d.
Lithography, Acrylic, Mahogany, Bronze, Fabric, Glass.
Title bronze plate detail.
Name and date bronze plate detail.
I am excited to announce that I will be exhibiting nineteen sculptures at the Freeport Art Museum as part of a large three person show. Entitled Fabrication, it will also feature photographer Les Allen and assemblagist Rosalie Koldan. The show will run from May 12 to July, 2017, with an opening reception May, 12th from 5-7pm.
This will be the largest exhibition of my sculptural work to date, ranging from the early paper doll shadowbox pieces of the late 1990's to my most recent bronze, Beneath the Remnant Veil. I am truly grateful to the Freeport Art Museum for this opportunity and all the support they have given me.
From FAM's website: "The artists in Fabrication assemble an array of objects fabricating imagined and unexpected scenes. Initially, the works’ combination of elements might appear contradictory or even illogical which challenges the viewer to make sense of the unfamiliar by placing themselves within the scenes. The results are surreal-like compositions that pull at the viewers unconscious."
Very special thanks to Collections and Exhibitions Manager Carrie Baxter, Executive Director Jessica Modica, and Director of Education Barry Treu.
My sculpture from 2015, Ossis Fateor Momoria, is featured in an online article from Whizual Aesthetics Blog. The author of the article, Igor Stankovic, was great to work with and I appreciate his interest. Please read the article HERE.
Figure Nineteen.- Beneath the Remnant Veil.
2009-2016. 4'h x 32”w x 5.5”d.
Bronze, Wood, Resin, Acrylic, Gold leaf, Silk, Hardware.
Now that it's finished, it's hard to believe this sculpture was started nine years ago. From the onset, this work was to be a blend of reliquary and anatomical display, but it went through many changes over the years. Design elements of the frame were referenced from Gothic sources, with everything sculpted and fabricated in my studio. The central figure is bronze, and is to evoke the wax anatomical models of the past. Where those displays were dissected and clean, the human object here is bulbous and nearly unrecognizable, yet it was my intention to make it elegant still. This figure, and the objects tucked within it, are remnants of something once alive and vital: earth, land, and sea.
Beneath the Remnant Veil.
Beneath the Remnant Veil, detail.
My latest sculpture, "The Ephemeral Knot", will be showing at the 13th Annual Regional Juried Exhibition at the Freeport Art Museum from November 11, 2016 to February 18, 2017. Thank you to Chicago's Sergio Gomez for accepting my work. Opening reception is Friday, November 11th, 5-8 PM.
The 13th annual Regional Juried Exhibition at the Freeport Art Museum features work by artists living in the tri-state region of Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Created to encourage contemporary art, this show provides an opportunity for established and emerging artists to debut their latest work. The Regional Juried Exhibition continues to build momentum each year and now attracts over 200 submissions. A wide variety of media is accepted from traditional materials such as painting and sculpture to conceptual and new techniques including video, interactive media, performance and installation art. FAM has gained the distinguished reputation of displaying a wide range of contemporary art, allowing this exhibition to become a favorite amongst visitors. The invited juror selects works for inclusion and chooses recipients for cash awards for first, second and third place. Winners will be announced at the opening reception.
Exhibiting Artists: Pamela Andros, Jean Apgar, Nick Baxter, Sara Slee Brown, Jim Davis, Doug DeWitt, Mark Dierker, Simone Doing and Max Puchalsky, Joan Geary, Sarvin Haghighi, Carol Hamilton, David Hauptschein, Eric Hazeltine, Eric Hazeltine, Kathleen Isacson, Stephen Jensen, Katsy Johnson, Yvette Kaiser Smith, Deanna Krueger, Cindy Lesperance, Bert Leveille, Judy Lipman Shechter, Bob Logsdon, Jeanne Ludeke, Benjamin Madeska, Carol Mantey, Janice Meister, Taylor Mezo, Leah Mitchell, Paul Nitsche, Paul Pinzarrone, Gina Robbins, Kathleen Roman, Kathryn Scott, Elizabeth Shriver, Dan Spahn, Frank Spidale, Rebecca Stahr, Randal Stringer, Daniel Tajlili, Linda Vietmeyer, Candace Wark and Shirley Nannini, Zachary Williams, Sandra Wilson
Juror: Sergio Gomez
Sergio Gomez is a Chicago based visual artist and creative entrepreneur. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Northern Illinois University. Sergio’s work has been subject of solo exhibitions in the United States, Italy and Vienna. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Spain, Sweden, London, Mexico and the US. His work can be found in private and public collections of the National Museum of Mexican Art, Brauer Art Museum, and the MIIT Museo Internazionale Italia Arte among other public and private collections. Currently, Sergio Gomez is the owner & director of 33 Contemporary Gallery, Curator/Director of Exhibitions at the Zhou B. Art Center, contributor for Italia Arte Magazine, Art/Design faculty at South Suburban College, Creative Consultant for Idea Seat Marketing and Advertising, co-founder of 3c Wear and co-funder of the Art NXT Level Program. His weekly Artist Next Level podcast inspires and educates contemporary artists. Sergio has curated special projects for the Chicago Park District, ArtSpot Miami International Art Fair during Art Basel Week (2013, 2014), National Museum of Mexican Art, and ExpoChicago (2014) among others.
Figure Seventeen.- The Ephemeral Knot
2015-2016. 7”h x 19.5”w x 10.5”d.
Bronze, Wood, Resin, Acrylic, Gold leaf, Silk, Hardware.
Figure Seventeen.- The Ephemeral Knot
2015-2016. 7”h x 19.5”w x 10.5”d.
Bronze, Wood, Resin, Acrylic, Gold leaf, Silk, Hardware.
Something akin to a Memento Mori, The Ephemeral Knot is a sculpture depicting the bridge between youth and death. The child's hand grasps a clavicle bone, the first bone to begin the process of ossification. The clavicle can be regarded as ancient in terms of the body, and here represents time's passing as well as the end of life. The red silk bow is tied around three extensor muscles: Extensor Digitorum, Extensor Digiti Minimi, and Extensor Carpi Ulnaris. These muscles, in general, function to extend the fingers and wrist. Their role here is to illustrate release, a letting go of life. The knot, or bow within this piece, represents life. The loosening of a knot could be seen as the unraveling of existence. Interestingly, the silk bow will be the first component of this piece to decay, as the rest of the materials are far more time stable. Lastly, the snail, with its coiled shell, is another reference to journey and purity.
The Ephemeral Knot, front.
The Ephemeral Knot, front detail.
The Ephemeral Knot, back view.
The Ephemeral Knot, back view detail.
I wanted to give a special word of thanks to Nova Hansen, who was so willing to participate in the original life casting. Thank you as well to her parents, Leif and Rebekah Hansen. All photographs are by William Lemke.
