Paul Villinski A'84

Paul Villinski

Paul Villinski A'84 has an exhibition, "Paul Villinski - Flight Patterns," on view at Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan through August 18. The art of Paul Villinski explores the dynamic aerial realm and various notions of “flight”—literal and metaphorical. A licensed pilot, Villinski gives form to assorted airborne bodies, including butterflies, birds, airplanes and aspiring humans. To create his sculptural work, Villinski enlists a range of found materials: aluminum cans become flocks of patterned butterflies; used knives transform into feathered wings; old vinyl LPs morph into songbirds. These discarded objects are reborn in works that honor their past lives while compounding their identity to address serious subjects such as addiction and environmentalism. A highlight of the exhibition is a scaled-down World War II B25 bomber airplane suspended from the ceiling. In Villinski’s hands, this vessel of destruction is transformed into a vehicle of hope: Instead of bombs it drops food and brings attention to the widespread condition of food scarcity.

1000 East Beltline Avenue NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525

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