Pilar’s Artist Statement:At first, you feel that this artwork is deceptively familiar, like you are removing a filmy curtain to unveil a misty world that is almost recognizable. These works seem to be on the verge of a distant edge of your memory. Perhaps they are reminiscent of some tribal relics. These were not created by any earthly tribe. However, like many works of interest, these creations derive a great deal of their power from the juxtaposition of the everyday acquaintance with eerily alien terrain.
Looking at Pilar's work, one can imagine seeing the archaeological ruins of some alternate past; mythic, totemic and sacred. This is the visual language of these pieces. These are personal talismans for giant, ancient gods. There was widespread belief in the distant past of beings that inhabited every part of the forest: the trees, the water, and the air. Like these former deities, these works have their own souls. You can sometimes see their very faces. They are at once familiar and yet unrecognized. They are all around us, but not easily detected.
According to Einstein, matter and energy are equivalent and either can be freely converted to the other. Antoine Lavoisier was the first to clearly state that matter and energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but simply converted. The metal or matter at the heart of this work seeks movement or energy to determine its form. Movement, as it converts from solid to liquid, from unwieldy to malleable. Moving metal is about technique and process; it is about using energy or fire and heat to convert matter into its final form. This art gains its voice from that form.
Pilar's work has a presence and depth that owes its existence at least partially to this fabricated ancient provenance and partially to the painstaking technical skill displayed in her respect for her chosen media. She has studied metal arts and fine arts including jewelry making and sculpture. These works that are described by Pilar as "sculpture for the wall," are all inclusive, encompassing technical skill as well as creative expression. This body of work transfers the precious quality of jewelry into the sculptural realm.
Image: Photo by Clement Yonkers
