Artist Statement “Nothing is Going Away”

Truth is, nothing is going away…everything stays, the same or in slightly different form, but it still stays, it’s around us.

Whatever we do, we are leaving footprints for the next generations. Our society of consumers and related environmental issues are daily question marks. We are recycling, repurposing different materials, but after at the end of the day most of household waste and production scraps end in the landfill.

As an artist I am becoming more and more environmentally conscious. Very often I am purposefully reaching for unwanted materials that are otherwise going to be thrown away. Entire exhibit in the Sylvia Rosen Gallery is made of remnants, they got a second chance. Basic idea behind the exhibit was to carefully select different discarded material from local manufactures and turn it to conceptually and aesthetically cohesive projects. Generously donated material as well us personally collected “stuff” gave me a chance to experiment, transform and express my concepts into a new body of artwork.

For me as an artist it’s fascinating to work with the ready made material - very often without any additional adjustments. Felt, leather, paper, nails, metal rods, clear tubing… cutting, piercing, stapling, weaving, layering…positive and negative, light and shadow… this is my vocabulary and I’m not afraid to investigate more.

- Jozef Bajus 8/19/2016