Bergère / 2012 / Various papers / 26 x 26 x 36 in.
Shirt & Tie / 2010 / Mulberry and various other papers / 23 x 30 x 4 in.
Wallet / 2011 / Paper, nylon thread / 4 x 3 x 0.5 in.
Paper Museum Bench / 2013
Americana, paper jeans / 2011 / Paper, canvas, silk and nylon thread / 15 x 9 x 11 in.
Americana, paper jeans / 2011 / Paper, canvas, silk and nylon thread / 15 x 9 x 11 in.
Paper Eames Chair LCW / 2012 / Various papers, hand painted / 22 x 23 x 28 in.
A dusty old chair, a wrinkled pair of jean shorts, or the classic shape of a wooden Eames chair, common items you might encounter every day without giving them a second thought. But try to sit on that worn Corbusier bench or wear that pressed white shirt and you might be shocked as they tear or disintegrate before your very eyes because, amazingly, they are made almost completely with paper by Los Angeles-based artist Vincent Tomczyk. Via his artist statement:
My art centers on objects to stimulate visceral connections. These compositions represent biographies of people, experiences and interpretations of intangible ideas. Although my work can be categorized as realism, my intention is to distill the emotion of an object, then through expression, reconstruct it into my view of its essential self – free of function. [...] As an artist working primarily with paper, my art requires me to be part craftsman and part engineer. I learned a lot about how to construct things by working at my father’s side, in his workshop. I’m compelled to produce work that is visually poetic by using a medium that defies perceived limitations.
Tomczyk tells me that he doesn’t do much sketching before he embarks on each artwork, but spends his time formulating ideas in his head and developing a list of needed materials and measurements. The objects are carefully crafted by hand, all of the colors you see are hand-painted and he never relies on any sort of digital printing. Translation: these take a lot of time. The jean shorts alone with functional pockets and realistic textures took over 100 hours.
If you want to see more, Tomczyk has a solo show opening May 4th, 2013 at Gallery 825 in LA and you can also see many more of his paper works on his website. If you enjoy this kind of realism, also check out Randall Rosenthall’s wood carvings. (via colossal submissions, thnx shane)
