Preston Pavlis
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Inner life
2021
Oil on linen
274.5 x 213.5 cm (108 x 84 in.) -
And for me, a small triumph is the greatest Hail-Mary across the longest field
2021
Oil and yarn on canvas, quilted
259 x 211 cm (102 x 83 in.) -
lucky to be me
2019
Acrylic, embroidery and fabric on unstretched canvas
183 x 183 cm (72 x 72 in.) -
Still ready to curse and rage
2021
Exhibition view, Bradley Ertaskiran, Montréal (Canada)
Photo credit : Paul Litherland -
when the jig is up, when the act is finished, when the curtain descends
2020
Oil, fabric and pressed flowers on canvas
244 x 335.5 cm (96 x 132 in.) -
Second sight
2021
Oil and dried flower petals on canvas
76 x 61 cm (30 x 24 in.) -
The Drama in Blue
2021
Oil on linen
25.5 x 20.5 cm (10 x 8 in.) -
The Organist
2020
Acrylic, oil and thread on unstretched canvas
305 x 305 cm (120 x 120 in.) -
your skin behind the lattice
2019
Acrylic, oil pastel and embroidery on unstretched canvas
167.5 x 175.5 cm (66 x 69 in.)
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heading into the green vastness
2019
Acrylic, oil pastel and embroidery on unstretched canvas
228.5 x 183 cm (90 x 72 in.) -
to mud, from dust
2019
Charcoal, ink and embroidery on unprimed canvas
152.5 x 152.5 cm (60 x 60 in.) -
no longer I'm mortified
2019
Acrylic and embroidery on canvas
69 x 93 cm (27 x 36.5 in.)
Biography
Preston Pavlis’ work on canvas and fabric represents his interest in the fusion of painting and textiles as a means to explore narrative, form and color. Focused on poetic association and metaphor, the resulting works in oil, embroidery, and collage are personal charts for time and memory. The works situate solitary figures on often non-descript grounds, their gazes shift between the viewer and somewhere beyond the space of the spectator. Whether their expressions are pensive, contemplative, ebullient, or intent – there is an interiority that is palpable. Pavlis’ figures convey a subtle energy and a deep sense of presence that is enhanced by their imposing scale.
Pavlis was born in Loma Linda, California. He resided in Edmonton, Alberta, and currently lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he is completing his studies at the Nova Scotia College of Arts and Design. Pavlis was Alberta’s regional winner of the BMO 1st Art Competition in 2019 and recently won the 2021 Eldon + Anne Foote Edmonton Visual Arts Prize. He has presented his work in exhibitions at Bradley Ertaskiran, Montreal, at Half Gallery, NYC, and at the John & Maggie Mitchell Gallery, Edmonton. His work has also been included in recent art fair presentations including Frieze New York and NADA Miami.
Born in Loma Linda, California, 1999
Lives and work in Halifax, Nova Scotia
