Soul of the Silverware Swordsman

Foreword by Christopher B. Bertain 

They say that art is what happens when you learn to dream, but where do dreams come from? Where do paintings come from? Where do statues come from? Where does our inspiration come from? Where do people come from? There are many answers to these questions, but we all agree that everything on this earth has a beginning.

            The art of Paul DiPasqua does not necessarily explore the beginning, but more the continuance. Observers will note that every bit of raw material used in the construction of these figures is a tool that is used in everyday life. DiPasqua however looks past the simple object and asks: “Where has this been before? Who has used this before? What action has this item seen?” Anyone can pick up a pencil or paintbrush and ask the same questions, but in the eyes of the art world, tools like these are so common that you may come to the same answers over and over again. As these hundreds of objects come together, form and figure is eventually granted, and in the end, there stands a sculpture that acts as a tribute to mankind’s gift of resourcefulness.

            To create, to destroy, and to transform, are the three skills that are the keys to the imagination. Paul DiPasqua provides his slant on the latter as he reveals the study of turning one object into another with his collection of samurai constructed from kitchenware. The continuance of the steadfast warriors of yesteryear and the continuance of everyday utensils come together in the display you see here today.