-Story by Angela Cowan
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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Behind creeping ivy and sprawling holly bushes, at the bottom of an octagonal tower in a house built well over a century ago, artist Brad Pasutti creates labyrinthine paintings that straddle the borders between dreams and reality.
Figures blend into unusual architecture or fade partly into translucence, while disembodied hands and limbs provoke that surreal sense of disjointedness often found in our subconscious minds.
The artist himself is soft-spoken and reserved as he moves through his home. Walls covered to the inch with pieces from local artists, shelves of figurines and models from classic works of art and his husband香蕉视频直播檚 astonishing mermaid collection speak to the couple香蕉视频直播檚 passion and dedication to the world of visual art.
He sets down a cup of tea and takes a chair in his studio next to a four-foot-tall painting, glancing at the piece.
香蕉视频直播淚 hope to achieve some qualities of the dream,香蕉视频直播� says Pasutti of his work. 香蕉视频直播淒reams were very important to me. It香蕉视频直播檚 so different than the waking world.香蕉视频直播�
In dreams, we jump from thought to thought, flitting between ideas that don香蕉视频直播檛 always have a clear connection. Stare at one of Pasutti香蕉视频直播檚 larger-than-life pieces in person and you香蕉视频直播檒l find your eye roaming from detail to detail, unable to focus on any one thing for long. It香蕉视频直播檚 a reflection of the chaotic state of our slumbering minds, but also the wandering nature of daydreaming.
It香蕉视频直播檚 what Pasutti calls the 香蕉视频直播減olyphony of being香蕉视频直播� and relates to how people can be out in the world doing ordinary things, but our minds are constantly moving from one thought to the next, propelled by memories, the things we see, conversations we have, even music we hear.
香蕉视频直播淚 want my paintings to be about what香蕉视频直播檚 going on in people香蕉视频直播檚 minds,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淰ery few people are just in the moment.香蕉视频直播�
Pasutti香蕉视频直播檚 formal training started with a three-year honours diploma in sculpture from the Kootenay School of Art, completed in 1979, after which he achieved a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria in 1983. He was greatly inspired by Hieronymus Bosch, as well as Escher, Picasso and others. His original goals included researching conservation of artwork, but the intricacies of the science took him too far from the art itself.
香蕉视频直播淚 realized I wasn香蕉视频直播檛 into the sciences,香蕉视频直播� he says. Though fascinated by lay science, the details of conservation 香蕉视频直播渟eemed too removed from the actual process of doing art.香蕉视频直播�
The 香蕉视频直播済eeky香蕉视频直播� side of painting continued to appeal, however, and the actual construction of the pigments attracted his interest. With his newest series, Pasutti has been experimenting with different mediums to mix with the oils to 香蕉视频直播渟ee how they behave.香蕉视频直播�
Linseed oil, a common base in oil paints, can be 香蕉视频直播渓ight and flowing or heavy and viscous,香蕉视频直播� he says, 香蕉视频直播渁nd that has a huge influence on how you香蕉视频直播檙e working.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭he technological or geeky part is a whole different part,香蕉视频直播� he says, becoming animated as he talks about the ingredients used: casein, egg, plant derivatives. 香蕉视频直播淭he actual handling of paint, I want to explore that too. They don香蕉视频直播檛 teach you that in school.香蕉视频直播�
But before he even begins work with his hand-ground colours, he starts his process by taking hundreds (if not thousands) of photos and then cutting and arranging them digitally to form a draft image he香蕉视频直播檒l work from.
| Artist Brad Pasutti in his Victoria studio. Don Denton photography |
His newest works-in-progress explore youth and wonder.
香蕉视频直播淚 saw a small bush hedge that had a little dip down into the grass,香蕉视频直播� he says of his inspiration. 香蕉视频直播淐hildhood sees those as magical spaces. I wanted to capture childhood.香蕉视频直播�
After enlisting the help of his great-nephew and niece as models, Pasutti is now in the digital draft stage, discovering the stories the images tell with each click of his mouse. Though, there香蕉视频直播檚 no guarantee the final piece will look anything like the drafts, he says.
As often happens in creative pursuits, the project takes on its own personality and the images 香蕉视频直播渒ind of grow香蕉视频直播� as Pasutti begins to work with actual paints.
香蕉视频直播淥nce I start painting, it becomes an object, and there香蕉视频直播檚 a dialogue between the works,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e had works where what I started with香蕉视频直播lmost none of that actually ends up on the painting.香蕉视频直播�
And unexpected figures sometimes creep in as well. In several of Pasutti香蕉视频直播檚 works, familiar faces from one of the artist香蕉视频直播檚 favourite pieces, Bosch香蕉视频直播檚 The Garden of Earthly Delights, kept appearing as he worked, sometimes to his chagrin.
But 香蕉视频直播渢he painting has to go in its own direction, and sometimes it surprises you.香蕉视频直播�
Inspired by a family with great respect for the arts, Pasutti has been exploring different perspectives since childhood.
香蕉视频直播淢y father was a poet and a writer,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淗e used to bring art books home all the time. And my uncle went to art school. He was like a big brother to me.香蕉视频直播�
They encouraged Pasutti to explore his natural inclinations to view the world on a slant, and helped sow the seeds for his work to come.
As a child, Pasutti would walk around his home with a mirror pointed at the ceiling, seeing how the world was turned upside down. And from early childhood he would often dream of being in the depths of a labyrinth, having found secret doors in his home, or hidden floors and spaces.
香蕉视频直播淚 was always so happy,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淚 enjoy just wandering.香蕉视频直播�
These days, Pasutti lives every day in his art. Inspiration strikes while walking the dog, wandering library stacks, even working on his iPhone.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 always working,香蕉视频直播� he says with a laugh. He still dreams occasionally of labyrinths and secret places 香蕉视频直播� his love of a complicated unknown as strong as ever.
