RAYMON ELOZUA

ABOUT

(b. 1947 West Germany, lives and works in Mountaindale, NY)

Raymon Elozua studied political science, sculpture and theater at the University of Chicago. These diverse and varied interests still hold a place within his visual arts practice, encompassing glass and ceramics-metal sculptures, photography and overall interest in historical ephemera.

Elozua is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2015 Virginia Groot Foundation, as well as numerous National Endowment for the Arts Grants in Sculpture, Ceramics, and Paintings. Elozua is widely represented in private, corporate and museum collections throughout the USA including the Carnegie Museum of Art (Pittsburgh, PA), the Museum of Art and Design (New York, NY) and Progressive Corporation (Pepper Pike, OH). In 2003, the Mint Museum of Art and the Mint Museum of Craft and Design presented Constructing Elozua: A Retrospective (1973-2003) documenting his sculptures, paintings, photography and digital works.

Elozua has taught at New York University, Pratt School of Design, Rhode Island School of Design, California College of Arts & Crafts and Louisiana State University. Alongside his visual arts practice, Elozua has launched websites that archive collections of material related to industry, labor, and history.

RAYMON ELOZUA

CV

FOR MORE

elozua.com
popsongpoems.us
eggbasket-scny.us
vanishingcatskills.us
homescrap.us
rustybucket.us
lostlabor.com
stoveburner.com

ON HIS WORK

These new sculptures are derived from a series of sculptures starting in 1999. They are based on a digital exploration of Abstract Expressionist paintings. Adobe Photoshop was used to separate colored shapes within various paintings created by different artists. A DeKooning painting could be separated into 7 different colors or layers. These colors and their corresponding forms were then modified and manipulated in 3D Studio Max, a CAD software.

The resulting building blocks were then assembled into coherent 3D forms. These prints were used as rough templates to “re-materialize” the digital images into steel and ceramic sculptures. A sculpture now was comprised of the various “sampled” forms and colors from several historical artists.

Working in the ceramic medium, I was always interested in the synthesis of different materials. From 1989 through 2001 I used steel rod combined with 04 terra cotta in my sculpture. The “skeleton” of steel provided a way to utilize clay in a more spatial and gravity defying manner.

The medium of glass was always attractive. In early 2013, I met Lorin Silverman, an expert glassblower with a BFA from Alfred. He then worked for Corning Museum as a resident technician assisting artists to realize their vision.

We researched and developed a way to blow glass into a metal armature. In July 2013, Lorin provided the labor and expertise to make the glass shapes used in this new body of work. Glass is the most difficult medium that I have experienced.

Once the shapes were blown, using CAD drawings, I constructed a steel and wire structure, which was then covered with terra cotta and fired multiple times for color. The glass forms were then independently affixed to the fired sculpture.

The tension between the fractured ceramic with the reflective glass is fascinating, a feeling of beauty born out of decay.

–Raymon Elozua

ON R&D SCULPTURES

Working in the ceramic medium, I have always been interested in the synthesis of different materials.  From 1989 through 2002, I used steel rod and wire combined with 04 terracotta in my sculptures.  The “skeleton” of the steel provided a way to utilize clay in a more spatial and gravity-defying manner.

The medium of glass is attractive but I never had an occasion to explore it.  In 2013, I met Lorin Silverman, an expert glassblower and artist.  He worked for Corning Museum as a technician helping artists to realize their vision in glass.  We researched and developed a way to blow glass into a metal armature.

Glass is perhaps the most difficult medium I have utilized.  Once the glass shapes were created, using CAD drawings I constructed a steel and wire structure, which was then covered with terra cotta and fired multiple times for color to Cone 04.  The glass forms were then independently affixed to the sculptures.

The tension between the fractured ceramic with the reflective glass is fascinating, a feeling of beauty born out of decay.

The work of R&D Sculptures 2014: Ceramic, Steel and Glass was constructed, March 2013 – May 2014.

–Raymon Elozua