Revitalization from Ethereal Origins

This new sculpture from my Ethereal Origins series began with a piece some of you may recognize, The Pollenator. I’ve brought it back into the studio to rework it into a new sculpture. I think of it as revitalizing the piece. There’s something interesting about starting with a form I already know and finding out what else it can become.

Ethereal Origins grew out of my interest in the microscopic forms of genes and chromosomes and the much larger question of our celestial origins. I like how easily the sense of scale can shift. Up close, a cluster of shapes can suggest something cellular. Step back and the curve around it starts to look like an orbit. Reworking The Pollenator gives me a chance to see where those associations can take a familiar form.

Studio photograph of Ralph Pàquin’s revitalized sculpture in progress, developed from The Pollenator for the Ethereal Origins series.

You can still see the unfinished surface, with tools and cords scattered around the studio floor. That’s where the piece is right now, and I wanted to share it while it’s still taking shape.

Studio photograph of Ralph Pàquin’s revitalized sculpture in progress, developed from The Pollenator for the Ethereal Origins series.

Connect with me: @rpaquinart