Installation view of Plane Weave. Photograph by Barbara Katus.
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is thrilled to present Alyson Shotz: Plane Weave, on view April 21 through August 7, an installation that marks the unveiling of a large sculptural work commissioned by PAFA and making its public debut.
"Alyson Shotz is known for work that seeks to understand the physics of space through sculpture," says Jodi Throckmorton, PAFA's Curator of Contemporary Art. "Her art bridges disciplines by connecting science and mathematics with the visual arts and by using non-traditional materials like glass beads or stainless steel wire to build often immense abstract sculptures."
The centerpiece of the installation is Shotz's tapestry-like sculpture, commissioned by PAFA and composed of thousands of laser-cut aluminum octagons of the artist's design that are connected by hand. A deep investigation into the work of light and gravity on the way that materials function in space, this new work also reflects upon the repeating patterns found in nature.