Steven Spazuk: Hubris, Beauty & Greed
April 7 - May 28, 2017
Steven Spazuk paints with fire in a technique he refers to as “fumage,” reinventing traditional artistic approaches. Over the past 16 years, Spazuk has refined this skill – creating exquisitely vivid figures and animals from the residue of his candle’s brushstrokes. He has become an internet sensation, and recently was recruited as a sponsored artist by Zippo. Search for his name on the internet and you will find dozens of videos of him in action. The process is mesmerizing, but it’s not just the concept that strikes viewers, it’s the final product. The draughtsmanship is so remarkable that the works are often mistaken for academic drawings or photography.
The title that the artist has chosen for this exhibition speaks strongly about his subject matter.Hubris, beauty, and greed: two inherently selfish characteristics surrounding an objectively pleasant aesthetic virtue, bound by the topic of humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Spazuk expresses his concern for the vulnerability of all species on this planet, which is propelled by our society’s perceived solipsism. As the human population grows on this planet, other animals are disappearing, and our collective hubris and insatiable greed for more resources are squeezing out irreplaceable beauty. The traces of smoke that produce the compositions in Spazuk’s renderings are symbolic of pollution, which comes as a direct result of excessive and irresponsible overconsumption. Life on earth, much like properties of fire, is beautiful yet fleeting. Spazuk’s message conveys that if we can pause to appreciate the beauty around us, we can re- evaluate our purpose or attitude regarding our fragile ecosystem.
For our exhibition, the artist has been working tirelessly over the past year to produce this entirely new body of 29 artworks. We are thrilled to exhibit Steven Spazuk at Adelson Galleries for our first time, and we look forward to growing our relationship with the artist into the future.
Adam Adelson
Director, Adelson Galleries Boston