Paula Hayes
Paula Hayes is known for her meticulously crafted works which bridge the worlds of art and design. Working with local artisans, engineers, and cutting edge design technology, she creates sculptures that are functional–a bird bath, a tree planter, a light fixture. Each work reveals beautiful detailing and materials, and is typically hand-made. Concept, form, and function are in perfect balance. Hayes is also known for her environments, both micro and macro, that demand participation from the viewer. In the case of her living sculptures–hand-blown glass terrariums filled with mini-ecosystems of plant life and minerals–owners are required to care for them. She asks her audience to look at her materials not just formally, but also emotionally (and even spiritually). The relationship between the viewer, nature, and her mediated environment are integral to the experience and narrative of the work.
She has had solo exhibitionst at Lever House in New York, Omi International Art Center in Ghent, Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. Her work has been included in numerous exhibitions, including The Museum of Art and …
Paula Hayes is known for her meticulously crafted works which bridge the worlds of art and design. Working with local artisans, engineers, and cutting edge design technology, she creates sculptures that are functional–a bird bath, a tree planter, a light fixture. Each work reveals beautiful detailing and materials, and is typically hand-made. Concept, form, and function are in perfect balance. Hayes is also known for her environments, both micro and macro, that demand participation from the viewer. In the case of her living sculptures–hand-blown glass terrariums filled with mini-ecosystems of plant life and minerals–owners are required to care for them. She asks her audience to look at her materials not just formally, but also emotionally (and even spiritually). The relationship between the viewer, nature, and her mediated environment are integral to the experience and narrative of the work.
She has had solo exhibitionst at Lever House in New York, Omi International Art Center in Ghent, Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. Her work has been included in numerous exhibitions, including The Museum of Art and Design in New York, Emscherkunst in Essen, Künstlerhaus in Vienna, Taipei’s Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art, Queens Museum of Art, and Weatherspoon Museum at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.
Courtesy of Salon 94
