Pam Olson

“My history as an artist includes a BFA in drawing from the University of Minnesota. The formal training of studies of the human anatomy paved the way for the work I am doing today. The complexity and elegance of the human structure fascinated me. Anatomical representation in pencil and charcoal became a point of departure rather than an endpoint.

My exploration of metal sculpture began more than 3 years ago. Still using the human body as a starting point, I now express ideas of whom and what we are as people in 3-dimensional form. The intersection of surface skin and raw inner emotions forms a new anatomy. Studies of anatomists over the years have influenced my work. Two are key – Andreas Vesalius’ early exploration of human anatomy, De Humani Corporis Fabrica, provokes a playful investigation of muscular structure, and Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, Embryo in the Womb, leads directly to expressions of life and force and seeing all of nature as inter-related. My current projects include: (1) Explorations of formal metal “stretcher-frames.” These hammered shapes for landscapes are 3-dimensional metal drawings that have volume and focus on an interplay between space and line. (2) Abstract studies based on anatomy. Influenced by Andreas Vesalius work, the series As We Stretch Our Muscles expresses life and force utilizing steel, copper, bronze, canvas, and stone.”

See more of Pam's work on ArtsHouston.