Steven Spazuk: Hubris, Beauty & Greed

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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.

Cover Spread Opposite

Up in Smoke, Chickadee 2, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 10 x 8 inches

Hubris (Louis-Vuitton Gas Mask with Blue Jay) (Detail), 2017

Soot, acrylic and collage on paper mounted on panel, 40 inches

Ring around the Rosie (Detail), 2017

Soot, acrylic and collage on paper mounted on panel, 12 inches

Quote from Zippo

6 7 Steven Spazuk | Hubris,
&
Beauty
Greed
Just by the process of working with fire makes me who I am. But the end result is always much more important than the process.
“ ”
Steven Spazuk

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 reevaluate our purpose or attitude regarding our fragile ecosystem.

Fire consumes, warms, and illuminates, but can also bring pain and death; thus, its symbolic meaning varies wildly, depending upon the context of its use. I mostly use it to talk about life’s fragility. Exploring this fragility is the very essence of my work as a fire artist.

Source: Forbes, China (June 5, 2015)

8 9 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
“ ”
Share the Wealth, 2017 Soot and silver leaf on paper mounted on panel, 18 inches

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.

10 Steven
|
Spazuk
Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Hubris (Louis-Vuitton Gas Mask with Blue Jay) (Detail), 2017 Soot, acrylic and collage on paper mounted on panel, 40 inches Adam Adelson Director Adelson Galleries Boston

Chickadees on a Fiddlehead, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 36 x 36 inches

12 13 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
14 15 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Robin and the Black Diamond, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 20 x 16 inches
16 17 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Up in Smoke, Swallow I, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 10 x 8 inches Up in Smoke, Swallow II, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 10 x 8 inches
18 19 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Smoky Owl, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 36 x 36 inches
20 21 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Land Mine, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 16 x 12 inches
22 23 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Nuthatch on Grenade, 2017 Soot on panel, 10 x 8 inches Up in Smoke, Chickadee 1, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 10 x 8 inches
24 25 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty &
Greed
Twitter, 2017 Soot, silver foil and acrylic on panel, 36 x 36 inches
26 27 Steven Spazuk | Hubris,
Beauty & Greed
Nest Egg 2, 2017 Soot and gold leaf on panel, 20 x 16 inches
28 29 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Nest Egg, 2017 Soot on panel, 36 x 36 inches
30 31 Steven Spazuk |
Hubris,
Beauty & Greed Oiseau sur Grenade, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 20 x 16 inches Louis-Vuitton Gas Mask, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 20 x 16 inches
32 33 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Up in Smoke, Chikadee 3, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 10 x 8 inches
34 35 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty &
Greed
Strings Attached, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 20 x 16 inches Chickadee on a Grenade, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 16 x 12 inches
36 37 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Perched, 2017 Soot, collage and acrylic on paper mounted on panel, 18 inches
38 39 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Hubris (Luis-Vuitton Gas Mask with Blue Jay), 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 40 winches
40 41 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Silent Flowers, 2016 Soot and collage on paper mounted on panel, 18 inches
42 43 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Share the Wealth, 2017 Soot and silver leaf on paper mounted on panel, 18 inches
44 45 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Ring around the Rosie, 2017 Soot, acrylic and collage on paper mounted on panel, 24 inches
46 47 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Coco-Rhino, 2017 Soot and gold leaf on paper mounted on panel, 18 inches
48 49 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
Mutant, 2017 Soot and gold leaf on paper mounted on panel, 10 inches
50 51 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
About to Blow, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 48 x 72 inches

Checklist

About to Blow, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 48 x 72 inches

Chickadees on a Fiddlehead, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 36 x 36 inches

Chickadee on a Grenade, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 16 x 12 inches

Coco-Rhino, 2017

Soot and gold leaf on paper mounted on panel, 18 inches

Hubris (Louis-Vuitton Gas Mask with Blue Jay), 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 40 inches

Land Mine, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 16 x 12 inches

Louis-Vuitton Gas Mask, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 20 x 16 inches

Mutant, 2017

Soot and gold leaf on paper mounted on panel, 10 inches

Nest Egg, 2017

Soot on panel, 36 x 36 inches

Nest Egg 2, 2017

Soot and gold leaf on panel, 20 x 16 inches

Nuthatch on Grenade, 2017

Soot on panel, 10 x 8 inches

Oiseau sur Grenade, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 20 x 16 inches

Perched, 2017

Soot, collage and acrylic on paper mounted on panel, 18 inches

Ring around the Rosie, 2017

Soot, acrylic and collage on paper mounted on panel, 24 inches

Robin and the Black Diamond, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 20 x 16 inches

Share the Wealth, 2017

Soot and silver leaf on paper mounted on panel, 18 inches

Silent Flowers, 2016

Soot and collage on paper mounted on panel, 18 inches

Smoky Owl, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 36 x 36 inches

Strings Attached, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 20 x 16 inches

Twitter, 2017

Soot, silver foil and acrylic on panel, 36 x 36 inches

Up in Smoke, Chickadee 1, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 10 x 8 inches

Up in Smoke, Chikadee 3, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 10 x 8 inches

Up in Smoke, Swallow I, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 10 x 8 inches

Up in Smoke, Swallow II, 2017

Soot and acrylic on panel, 10 x 8 inches

52 53 Steven Spazuk | Hubris, Beauty & Greed
51 18,000 6,500 1,400 Sold Sold 1,400 1,800 Sold 12 35 46 38 21 31 48 28 26 22 30 37 45 15 43 6,500 1,800 900 1,800 1,800 2,400 1,800 1,800 40 18 34 25 23 33 16 17 1,800 6,500 1,800 6,500 900 900 900 900
in Smoke, Chikadee 2, 2017 Soot and acrylic on panel, 10 x 8 inches 7 900
Up
Published for the exhibition Adelson Galleries Boston 520 Harrison Avenue Boston MA 02118 617.832.0633 info@adelsongalleriesboston.com

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