PA Kushner

Artist Statement

Ceramic sculpture has become a passionate narrative for me. My work is intended to engage a thought filled dialogue informed from a collage of imagery. I conceptualize the world and myself as being in a constant mode of transformation, examining change on the most basic levels to the more complex. Through iconographic realism I question, “what does change look like?” With gesture, I create a tension of push and pull challenging the viewers' perception of balance within the work.  The decision to use warm and cool colors or different surfaces is motivated by the emotions of either comfort or discomfort.  While my figures are often stylized they are gender specific.  They are meant to be inclusive and expressive of the human condition.  

My invented narratives are laden with metaphorical dramas that are both autobiographical and socially universal.  I have found that humor in some cases can be more effective in engaging the viewer when dealing with difficult subject matter.