2015 Catalogue Archive

Inspired both by his pastime as a pilot and his interest in environmental issues, New York artist Paul Villinski re-purposes discarded materials into large-scale installations that frequently reference flight. In Mistral (Greek for “wind”), Villinski converts found aluminum cans into a scattering of blue butterflies. The 50 individually cut forms are coated with blue flashe paint, which lends each delicate work a matte, velvety surface that masks the original design and sheen of the can. Elevated from the wall by wire, the sapphire-colored butterflies appear to flutter across the wall, and paired with their shadows, create an otherworldly spectacle. Villinski’s sculptures and site-specific installations of butterflies and birds are well represented in private and public collections.