{"id":593,"date":"2014-09-14T20:36:40","date_gmt":"2014-09-14T20:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/davidvarnau.com\/blog\/?p=593"},"modified":"2014-09-14T20:38:56","modified_gmt":"2014-09-14T20:38:56","slug":"edmonds-art-studio-tour-interviews-david","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davidvarnau.com\/blog\/593\/edmonds-art-studio-tour-interviews-david","title":{"rendered":"Edmonds Art Studio Tour Interviews David"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lynette Hensley\u00a0of the\u00a0Edmonds Studio Tour Interviews David Varnau, a figurative bronze and leaded glass sculptor.<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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\"David<\/a><\/h3>\n

_________________<\/p>\n

Sculptor David Varnau finds joy in capturing fleeting emotion on a face or the sweep of a dance. He is clearly driven to communicate the subtleties and extremes of human emotions and expressions, transforming them into weighty and permanent objects, and inspired by the essence of the human being, both physically and psychologically.<\/p>\n

Influences:<\/strong><\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0In what ways do the places where you have lived affect the art you create, or your artistic preferences? Where have you lived throughout your life? How has that shaped your art?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0Born and raised in rural Indiana, I grew up appreciating the lyrical in nature all around me. A wide-eyed, nature child, I developed an eye for the subtle and sometimes striking beauty of everyday moments and encounters in my natural environment. While pursuing a Bachelor\u2019s Degree in Psychology at Loyola University of Chicago, I found myself 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. My decision to spend a year abroad in Rome during my junior year stimulated a lifelong love of classical sculpture. Then, upon completion of my degree, my work in psychology as a rehab counselor provided me with valuable insights into the vulnerable side of human nature.<\/p>\n

While receiving post-baccalaureate training in the field of prosthetics at UCLA, I gained an in-depth education in human anatomy and biomechanics. This launched a rewarding 40 year career of serving amputees and provided me with an appreciation for the human spirit\u2019s capacity to transform loss into victory. My prosthetic training as well as my interactions with my patients has provided me with an eye for the wonders of the human body and a heart to sense the essence of the person before me. This was my milieu and it stimulated my yearning to express my insights in sculpture, leading me to pursue my art studies at Gage Academy in Seattle.<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0Who are the artists that influence your work that you know in person?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0Yves Pires, Brigitte Teman, Kevin Patelle<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0Name a living artist who you flat-out LOVE and think more people should go to see their work.<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0Yves Pires, Marty\u00a0Eichinger<\/a><\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0Who is your favorite artist(s)? Style? Period?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0Bernini, who did representational figurative sculpture during the Baroque Period of Italian art. Michelangelo\u2019s sculptures during the Italian Renaissance. Rodin\u2019s sculptures, whose works were done in the late 19th<\/sup>\u00a0and early 20th<\/sup>\u00a0centuries.<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0When is the first time you realized you were an artist?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0I believe the nun who was my teacher in 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0grade noticed that I had an artistic bent when she saw my drawings and praised me for them.<\/p>\n

Artistic direction<\/strong><\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0Describe your most recent artwork.<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0My most recently completed sculpture is titled\u00a0Persuasion.\u00a0<\/em>In this work,\u00a0I chose to create an image of a male and female tugging in opposite directions. The image can conjure many questions. Are the figures caught in the eternal tug of opposing intentions? Does each playfully want to show the other his\/her perspective? Is she saying goodbye and he is begging her to not leave? And can this image be viewed as a metaphor depicting the different sides of ourselves that oppose each other in our psyches?<\/p>\n

Isn\u2019t it intriguing how the parts of us that\u00a0we disown are often manifested in the people around us who push our\u00a0buttons! We lead with a primary sense of who we are and tend to smother\u00a0the other\u2013disowned\u2013sides. Yet, our disowned facets are time-and-again triggered by\u00a0the behavior and the choices of our partner, of our kids and of our coworkers. \u00a0What does our continued reactivity teach us? \u00a0Can we let it become a dance?<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0What are you up to right now? Current or upcoming projects, shows, experiments, collaborations, etc.<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0I am really excited about a number of life size sculptures that are currently at the foundry being cast in bronze. They take my body of work to a whole new level.<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0What\u2019s your ultimate direction for your art? Where do you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0I really want to have some sculptures installed as permanent public art.<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0What aspect of making art excites you the most right now?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0In the midst of a busy, rather mundane day, I occasionally catch a glimpse of someone\u2019s features and it nearly takes my breath away. Have you found yourself marveling at the gorgeousness of a complete stranger\u2019s mouth or, perhaps, their stance as they stood talking?\u00a0\u00a0 To me, those are transcendent moments where that curve of a girl\u2019s lip or the expressiveness of an old man\u2019s hand can create a sense of \u201cah-ha\u201d; it\u2019s then that the world feels whole and life seems so complete. In my sculptures, I endeavor to render the planes and contours 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.<\/p>\n

Surroundings:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0LH<\/strong>: What is it like to be an artist in Edmonds?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0Edmonds is a community that, in many ways, is focused on the arts\u2013with its annual arts festival and artists\u2019 studio tour. Yet, although I have focused largely on the Edmonds community for my art marketing, I have found that, as a market, its art patrons and collectors do not favor edgy art, or nude art. Even galleries here prefer to exhibit noncontroversial art works. As a result, we artists in Edmonds find ourselves seeking other markets for such works.<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0What music do you play, if any, while making art?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0A wide variety of music: classical baroque, folk, country and reggae.<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0Tell me about the classes that you teach and your interaction with students.<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0Since 1998, I have been hosting open studio sessions with a live model. This is the only venue in all of South Snohomish County in which drawers and sculptors can work from a live model. The sessions are not \u201cclasses\u201d per se, but are an opportunity for beginning as well as 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 and very stimulating. The camaraderie is a nice counterpoint to hours of solitude while sculpting alone in the studio.<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0How do you balance your art with other obligations \u2013 mate, children, job?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0It is a balancing act, but now that I am only working part time in prosthetics, I can devote more time to my art and promoting my art.<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0What\u2019s the most unusual place you\u2019ve ever shown your work? Why did you choose to show in that location?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0I will be exhibiting my sculptures at Rick Steve\u2019s Europe in Edmonds between June 13 and July 10. \u00a0I appreciate\u00a0Rick Steve\u2019s mission to broaden our cultural horizons. \u00a0My wife and I have used their resources extensively when planning our travels to Europe. \u00a0In my view, many Americans are not exposed to figurative sculpture much until they travel to Europe. \u00a0Once they have, they grow to appreciate how the Europeans celebrate the human form in their public art; it is the centerpiece of most of their squares and piazzas. \u00a0I am excited about exhibiting at Rick Steve\u2019s Europe because I believe the patrons who use his services will enjoy my body of work, which is inspired by classical sculpture.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0show will include sculptures that have been inspired by the classical masters and have been influenced by my travels to Europe. \u00a0What really blows me away when I am in Europe is how prevalent sculptures of the human figure are in their public places. \u00a0In fact, sculpture serves as a centerpiece of almost every famous place, square or piazza that we can think of. \u00a0Can you imagine Piazza Navona in Rome without Bernini\u2019s and della Porta\u2019s fountains, or the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris without sculpture? \u00a0But, as any European traveler knows, sculpture is found\u00a0as well\u00a0in the many little known squares that you just stumble upon\u2013and what a delightful surprise that can be!<\/p>\n

\u00a0Wishes and Wants:<\/strong><\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0When someone is viewing your work for the first time, what do you hope they\u2019ll see in it? Or, what do you want them to say about your work?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0We are all fascinated with the human image! In my sculptures, what both intrigues and excites me is to successfully create an image that, at first glance, grabs the viewer\u2019s attention and carries your eyes along the dominant lines of the figure. In each sculpture, you are invited to discover the gesture or action line embedded in the work. Go ahead; view the work from other angles. With 3-D art, it is particularly satisfying for me to succeed in captivating your interest from all sides of the piece.<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0What is one art tool or supply that you would take to your proverbial desert island?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0A wooden sculpting tool.<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0If you could take a fantasy artist vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be? Your goal would be to soak in art history or to make your own art. Where would you go?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0I would spend a summer in Florence, Italy studying sculpture at theAccademia D\u2019Arte<\/a><\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0Why are you drawn to work in bronze?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0Because I sculpt the entire sculpture in clay with a live model before me, I am able to capture the unique features of each model and a sense of their soul, their truth. Bronze figurative sculpture requires many steps to carefully capture its details and faithfully transform the clay original into virtually indestructible bronze. I like the durability of bronze\u2014my bronzes will be around long after we are all gone.<\/p>\n

LH:<\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019ve noticed that heightened emotions appear often in your work. What compels you to communicate in this way?<\/p>\n

DV:<\/strong>\u00a0My artistic mission is to generate allegories in bronze and glass that mirror the narrative of our lives. This, in turn, provides you the viewer with a glimpse of your own reflection. Whereas some of my works reflect a tranquility that seems almost eternal, others are very dynamic and kinetic. Some seem lyrical and light hearted, some are grief struck and still others are uplifting, even stirring. But all speak to the human condition and the spectrum of our experience through the compelling beauty and the singular expressiveness of the human body.<\/p>\n

_____________________________<\/p>\n

Contact:<\/strong><\/p>\n

David Varnau<\/p>\n

Studio 12<\/p>\n

www.davidvarnau.com<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

varnau.david@gmail.com<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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