{"id":315,"date":"2013-04-10T18:49:53","date_gmt":"2013-04-10T18:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/davidvarnau.com\/blog\/?page_id=315"},"modified":"2016-06-19T19:38:04","modified_gmt":"2016-06-19T19:38:04","slug":"bio","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/davidvarnau.com\/blog\/about\/bio","title":{"rendered":"Bio"},"content":{"rendered":"

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David Varnau: Inspiration in Bronze<\/em><\/b><\/strong><\/h1>\n

Born and raised in rural Indiana, David Varnau grew up appreciating the lyrical in nature all around him.\u00a0 A wide-eyed, nature child, he developed an eye for the subtle and sometimes striking beauty of everyday moments and encounters in his environment.\u00a0 While pursuing a Bachelor\u2019s Degree in Psychology at Loyola University of Chicago, Varnau found himself fascinated with watching people of all ages and races in a large urban center and was intrigued by the language of the body as it expressed the range of human emotions. \u201cMy decision to spend a year abroad in Rome during my junior year stimulated a lifelong love of classical sculpture.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Then, upon completion\u00a0of my degree, my work in psychology as a rehab counselor provided me with valuable insights into the vulnerable side of human nature.\u201d While receiving post-baccalaureate training in the field of prosthetics at UCLA, Varnau gained an in depth education in human anatomy and \"DSC_0123<\/a>movement.\u00a0 This launched a rewarding career of serving amputees for more than 40 years and provided him with an appreciation for the human spirit\u2019s capacity to transform loss into triumph.\u00a0 David\u2019s prosthetic training and his interactions with his patients provided him with an eye for the wonders of the human body, but also a heart to\u00a0sense\u00a0the essence of the person before him.\u00a0 This was his milieu and it stimulated his yearning to express his insights in sculpture, leading David to pursue his art studies at Gage Academy in Seattle.<\/p>\n

Since then, he has returned to Western Europe more than fifteen times, studying the art of the masters.\u00a0 When asked who has influenced his work most, he replies, \u201cBernini, who was one of the most influential artists during the Italian Baroque Period. Of course, Michelangelo\u2019s sculptures from the Italian Renaissance. Finally, Rodin\u2019s sculptures, whose works were created in the late 19th<\/sup>\u00a0and early 20th<\/sup>\u00a0centuries, continue to inform me.\u00a0 Even today, meeting with living sculptors, such as Yves Pires in Paris has been very inspiring\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DSC_0079_edited-3\"<\/a>Varnau says that he sculpts the entire sculpture with a live model before him.\u00a0 In that way, he says he is able to \u201ccapture the unique features of each model and a sense of their soul, their truth.\u201d\u00a0 Bronze figurative sculpture requires many steps to carefully capture its details and faithfully transform the clay original into virtually indestructible bronze.\u00a0 \u201cI like the durability of bronze\u2014my bronzes will be around long after we are all gone!\u201d \u00a0Varnau says that he is most productive when he is sculpting alone or alone with a live model.\u00a0 But he admits that he derives energy from creating in the presence of other artists.\u00a0 He has conducted classes for more than fifteen years and \u00a0 \u00a0comments, \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0have\u00a0 \u00a0been fortunate to be able to create art with some long term artist friends. Since 1998, I have been hosting open studio sessions with a live model. \u00a0The sessions are not \u2018classes\u2019 per se, but are an opportunity for emerging as well as for professional artists to benefit from the inspiration that can only be experienced from rendering their figurative art from life. It provides me with the chance to be among other artists and get energy from their passion for their art. The setting can be a great forum for professional exchange, is very stimulating and serves as a source of cross pollination. The camaraderie is a nice counterpoint to hours of solitude while sculpting alone in the studio.\u201d<\/p>\n

A\u00a0<\/b><\/em>recently completed sculpture by Varnau is entitled\u00a0Persuasion<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0It depicts an image of a male and female tugging in opposite directions. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0According to Varnau, \u201cthe image can conjure many questions. Are\u00a0the figures caught in the<\/p>\n

\"Persuasion\"<\/a>

Persuasion<\/p><\/div>\n

eternal\u00a0tug of opposing intentions?\u00a0 Does each playfully want to show the other his\/her perspective?\u00a0 Is she saying goodbye and he is begging her to not leave?\u00a0 And can this image be viewed as a metaphor depicting the different sides of ourselves that oppose each other in our psyches? Can we let those opposites become a dance?\u201d<\/p>\n

In the midst of a busy, rather mundane day, Varnau says that he occasionally catches a glimpse of someone\u2019s features and it nearly takes his breath away. \u201cWe are all fascinated with the human image! Have you found yourself marveling at the gorgeousness of a complete stranger\u2019s mouth or, perhaps, their stance as they stood talking?\u00a0To me, those are transcendent moments where that curve of a young girl\u2019s lips or the expressiveness of an elderly person\u2019s wrinkled face can create a sense of \u201cah-ha\u201d; it\u2019s then that the world feels whole and life \u00a0seems \u00a0so complete. In my sculptures, I endeavor to render the features of the human figure in a manner that evokes in you a similar visceral tug, permitting you to savor those eye-popping, synapse-charged moments that are otherwise only occasional and fleeting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ananda\"<\/a>

Ananda<\/p><\/div>\n

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In a recent interview, Varnau was asked, \u201cwhen someone is viewing your work for the\u00a0first\u00a0time, what do\u00a0you hope they\u2019ll see in it?\u201d\u00a0 He replied, \u201cIn my sculptures, what both intrigues and excites me is to successfully create an image that, atfirst glance, grabs the viewer\u2019s attention and carries your eyes along\u00a0the dominant lines of the figure.\u00a0 In each sculpture, you \u00a0\u00a0are invited to\u00a0discover the gesture or action line embedded in the work.\u00a0 With 3-D art,\u00a0it is particularly satisfying to for me to succeed in capturing your interest from all sides of the piece!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Varnau says that his artistic mission is to generate allegories in bronze that mirror the narrative of our lives.\u00a0 This, he says, provides you the viewer with a glimpse of your own reflection.\u00a0 Whereas, some of his works reflect a tranquility that seems almost eternal, others are dynamic and kinetic.\u00a0 Some seem lyrical and light hearted, some are grief struck and still others are uplifting, even stirring.\u00a0 But all speak to the spectrum of our experience through the compelling beauty and singular expressiveness of the human body. When one views his works, it is apparent\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0that\u00a0 \u00a0many\u00a0 \u00a0of\u00a0 \u00a0Varnau\u2019s sculptures incorporate what has\u00a0been termed the \u201cBaroque spiral\u201d, which generates a compelling sense of aliveness and dynamism. \u00a0\u00a0In addition, his figures are carefully sculpted to create a somewhat abstracted rendering of the human form. \u00a0A hallmark of Varnau\u2019s style is his highlighting the natural planes of the body in order to dramatize the body\u2019s innate energy while, at the same time, creating eye-tugging interest.\u00a0 His insightful works confidently derive their aliveness from the understated, even contemplative mood they each evoke. Their poignancy lies in Varnau\u2019s stunning accuracy and the powerful vibrancy with which his works express the truths of our human condition.<\/p>\n

Email:\u00a0david@davidvarnau.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Website:\u00a0 davidvarnau.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Studio: 725 Driftwood Lane<\/p>\n

Edmonds, WA 98020<\/p>\n

Phone: 206.947.2656<\/p>\n

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David Varnau: Inspiration in Bronze Born and raised in rural Indiana, David Varnau grew up appreciating the lyrical in nature all around him.\u00a0 A wide-eyed, nature child, he developed an eye for the subtle and sometimes striking beauty of everyday moments and encounters in his environment.\u00a0 While pursuing a Bachelor\u2019s Degree in Psychology at Loyola […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":2,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-about.php","meta":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n