Artist Statement
"There are two very distinct but interrelated aspects to sculptures. One is the material(s) that the object is made of and the other is the form (shape and structure) that the material is arranged into. Both of these concepts are extremely important to me when I think about my work. On the material side, I try to be honest about the use and properties of the stuff that I am using. I also try to push the materials as far as possible so I can understand the boundaries of strength and flexibility. Craftsmanship is a way of showing respect for the material and the processes that I use. In addition, materials can and can’t do certain things. For example, you can’t (easily) make a sphere out of piece of note book paper but it does fold very nicely into an airplane or any number of shapes. I try to understand what the materials want and don’t want to do and I have found that my works are more successful when the materials are “happy."

With respect to form, I have always loved mathematics and especially geometry. I am usually using them to design and understand my work. I like to create shapes that are based on specific parameters. For example, a circle has a certain radius or a cube has a certain edge length. Complex shapes have more that one parameter. More often than not, when I make sculptures, I am playing with parameters. Change a length or an angle and see what happens. Some results are easy to predict but there are many surprises. Patterns are also very important to me and not surprisingly, it is usually the more geometric ones that I like best. I have also come to realize that space and light are as important as the materials that I use.

I have often thought about the place of metaphor in my work. For now I feel that my work needs to stand on its own by the way that the form and the material speak to the viewer. Some time in the future I may change my mind."

Paul Vexler
Artist Statement

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