paulo dufour: Looking up, looking in

oct 3 - 26, 2023

FIRST WEDNESDAY OPENING: oct 4, FROM 6 - 9PM

ARTICULATE ARTIST TALK: SUNDAY, oct 8, AT 4PM.

NORMAL GALLERY HOURS: TUE - SUN, 12PM - 6PM

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Paulo Dufour's glass vessels continue to develop and hint at an allegorical metaphor. His amorphous and sensuous work conjures up images ranging from the earthy colors of landscapes to primal skin vessels. His works suggest the struggle of the human condition; where real conflict and myth evolve.

My work in this show, “ Looking Up, Looking In,” is two dimensional mixed media paintings and sculptural blown glass. The content reflects an ongoing exploration of my quest to integrate what I experience, and that which I embrace just by being alive. The shadowy figure that appears in several of these pieces represents my "other" self, the one that is always taking note of my actions and which follows me everywhere.
Technically, the work challenges my painting abilities on many levels, especially the composition of the piece and the application of the multiple layers of washes I use to achieve degrees of depth, light, and texture. The sculptural blown glass presents challenges of form, content, balance, and prismatic lenses. That combination is the confluence of my search for an ideal, which may be forever elusive. I find that I am unable to explain that ideal because I have yet to find it. These pieces are the part of me still looking. The quest means I am vulnerable with every piece I attempt. That is the exciting, risky part of creativity.
--Paulo Dufour

Paulo Dufour grew up in Baton Rouge, La., surrounded by art. His father, Paul Dufour, was a Louisiana State University professor of art for 42 years. Paulo followed with a Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) from LSU in 1977 and a Master of Fine Art (MFA) from California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California, in 1980.

He taught in several university settings and the Public School System of St. Tammany Parish, La., retiring in 2016 after 30 years of service. Paulo also taught glass art at several premier venues in the United States, including Arrowmont, Penland, and Pilchuck Glass School. He also worked as a designer for a glass manufacturer in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Paulo operates a comprehensive art studio in Covington, La., where he lives with his wife of 46 years, Jo Ellen. From his studio, he produces paintings, drawings, stained glass, blown glass, and mixed media sculptures. The studio is also the hub for his extensive commission projects, which, along with his art, can be reviewed on his website. Paulo’s work is found in private and public collections in the United States and Europe. Paulo recently received the 2023 Saint Tammany Parrish President’s Award for outstanding achievement in art.

This exhibition is presented alongside the latest works from James Flynn, Michael w. Howes, and Jacqueline Dee Parker. All works from these artists are on view, free of charge, during regular gallery hours (12 - 6 p.m., Tue - Sun) from Oct 3 - 26, 2023.