-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害羞草研究所檚 astonishing mermaid collection speak to the couple害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淚 hope to achieve some qualities of the dream,害羞草研究所� says Pasutti of his work. 害羞草研究所淒reams were very important to me. It害羞草研究所檚 so different than the waking world.害羞草研究所�
In dreams, we jump from thought to thought, flitting between ideas that don害羞草研究所檛 always have a clear connection. Stare at one of Pasutti害羞草研究所檚 larger-than-life pieces in person and you害羞草研究所檒l find your eye roaming from detail to detail, unable to focus on any one thing for long. It害羞草研究所檚 a reflection of the chaotic state of our slumbering minds, but also the wandering nature of daydreaming.
It害羞草研究所檚 what Pasutti calls the 害羞草研究所減olyphony of being害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淚 want my paintings to be about what害羞草研究所檚 going on in people害羞草研究所檚 minds,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淰ery few people are just in the moment.害羞草研究所�
Pasutti害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淚 realized I wasn害羞草研究所檛 into the sciences,害羞草研究所� he says. Though fascinated by lay science, the details of conservation 害羞草研究所渟eemed too removed from the actual process of doing art.害羞草研究所�
The 害羞草研究所済eeky害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所渟ee how they behave.害羞草研究所�
Linseed oil, a common base in oil paints, can be 害羞草研究所渓ight and flowing or heavy and viscous,害羞草研究所� he says, 害羞草研究所渁nd that has a huge influence on how you害羞草研究所檙e working.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭he technological or geeky part is a whole different part,害羞草研究所� he says, becoming animated as he talks about the ingredients used: casein, egg, plant derivatives. 害羞草研究所淭he actual handling of paint, I want to explore that too. They don害羞草研究所檛 teach you that in school.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所檒l work from.
| Artist Brad Pasutti in his Victoria studio. Don Denton photography |
His newest works-in-progress explore youth and wonder.
害羞草研究所淚 saw a small bush hedge that had a little dip down into the grass,害羞草研究所� he says of his inspiration. 害羞草研究所淐hildhood sees those as magical spaces. I wanted to capture childhood.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所渒ind of grow害羞草研究所� as Pasutti begins to work with actual paints.
害羞草研究所淥nce I start painting, it becomes an object, and there害羞草研究所檚 a dialogue between the works,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e had works where what I started with害羞草研究所lmost none of that actually ends up on the painting.害羞草研究所�
And unexpected figures sometimes creep in as well. In several of Pasutti害羞草研究所檚 works, familiar faces from one of the artist害羞草研究所檚 favourite pieces, Bosch害羞草研究所檚 The Garden of Earthly Delights, kept appearing as he worked, sometimes to his chagrin.
But 害羞草研究所渢he painting has to go in its own direction, and sometimes it surprises you.害羞草研究所�
Inspired by a family with great respect for the arts, Pasutti has been exploring different perspectives since childhood.
害羞草研究所淢y father was a poet and a writer,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淗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.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淚 was always so happy,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚 enjoy just wandering.害羞草研究所�
These days, Pasutti lives every day in his art. Inspiration strikes while walking the dog, wandering library stacks, even working on his iPhone.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 always working,害羞草研究所� he says with a laugh. He still dreams occasionally of labyrinths and secret places 害羞草研究所� his love of a complicated unknown as strong as ever.
