Paul Varga 

 

 As a sculptor, I have a closeness and connectedness to the natural materials of the earth. Natural resources like clay, ore and hardwoods are native to northern Michigan. These resources are intrinsic media and core elements in my sculpture-making-process. Landscape and sculpture each incorporate an interplay of positive and negative space. Shape and form change depending upon one's perspective. Whether a sculpture is more abstract or more figurative, the observer should take the time necessary to view it from multiple vantage points to draw one's own interpretations and conclusions.

​

 Each of my sculptures originates and evolves from the human figure. The sculptures are intended to be  3 - dimensional  metaphors that represent the collective strength of mankind. Within each piece I strive to create a sense of balance and harmony. My sculptural process begins with drawings from a life model. After an evolutionary sequence of drawings is completed, a maquette is made in clay or plaster. Using this 3-D model for reference, a sculpture is then carved in a hardwood, often black walnut. Selected wood sculptures are then cast in bronze. 

​

 Influences on my sculptural direction include

Alexander Archipenko,  Constantin Brancusi, Jacques Lipchitz, Aristide Maillol and Henry Moore. These sculptors as well as the Cubist movement of early 20th century sculpture are most inspirational. My sculptures throughout the years have vacillated in style between forms that are either stylized or figurative to pieces that are biomorphic abstractions. 

​

 During my childhood years our family resided in the suburbs of Chicago and Detroit. In this impressionable time frame I frequently visited the Art Institute of Chicago and the Detroit Institute of Art. I was especially intrigued with the work of the 20th century sculptors. My interests in art were nurtured at Central Michigan University where I received a BA in Art education and a MA in Art with a concentration in Sculpture.

​

 The bronze sculptures are cast in limited editions and are available at galleries throughout Michigan. These sculptures range in scale from 8" to 48" in height. A larger scale bronze casting of any form is available to the client who envisions a sculpture for a specific site or setting. Any scale Enlargement bronze form for an indoor or outdoor Installation is alway a sculptural possibility. A local commission is a 9' bronze sculpture installed by the shoreline of Lake Michigan. 

​