While some sculptors sift through piles of objects in antique stores for materials, British artist Paul Hazelton can construct pieces out of the dust that collects on them. His intricate pieces are built with dust, hair, paper scraps, cobwebs, and any unwanted material that collects in the corners of our houses. Pieces like the skeletal “Old Holbein,” constructed from dust and acrylic wire, remind one of both the fragility of the material and the human body it represents. (Below photograph by by Vanja Karas.)
The artist says the themes his work include mythology, creation, decay, and ontology. “Spontaneous Generation – the immaculate conception from dust” adds the element of human hair, crafting literal human materials and a geometrically minded shell and conveying something far bigger than its 80-millimeter diameter. Using a toy soldier as its anchor, “Depart” depicts a spirit passing on with household dust and an adhesive.
He currently has work in “Wolves, Magic and Spinning Wheels: The anatomy of fairy tales” at Maslow Galleries, Everhart Museum in Scranton, Penn. (through Dec. 31). Hazelton’s upcoming exhibitions include “Curio: Sites of Wonder” at 3 Gallery, from Sept. 29-Dec. 2. A solo show, “Ghosts in the Making,” arrives at Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art, & Natural History in London on Sept. 17, lasting through Jan. 14.