Behind the Exhibit: Spar Street
by Natasha Wolff | February 16, 2017 12:30 pm
If you find yourself in Vail, Colorado over President’s Day weekend, visit the Galerie Zuger and enjoy the three-dimensional works from sculptor Spar Street. Spar has been a creator for over twenty years, beginning as a painter with a raw authenticity in his work. He would paint his expressions of loneliness, anger, confusion, neglect and conflict. Painting through these raw emotions was a therapeutic process for Spar.
“My paintings evolved along with me as I continued the process of integrating my dark and often rebellious sides. Over time, my paintings and sculptures began to reflect hope and inspiration. Now my works reflect the triumph of the human spirit, the grace of love over adversity,” Spar admits the evolution of his artwork has been a true inner journey that is constantly progressing.
Spar Street’s artwork
Spar’s paintings have some unique qualities including the bold brushstrokes and vibrant color choices. Currently, his paintings could have upwards of 50 to 100 layers of paint and take several months to complete.
“About 20 years ago I found that I loved to create paintings with bold expressions of heavy paint and dynamic sculptural elements that allowed the image to lift off the canvas into its surroundings. In the last decade or so I have placed much of my attention on the creation of sculpture,” Spar elaborates on his current medium of choice. The piece he is most proud of would be The Heart of Peace sculpture that was made at the request of the Nobel family to commemorate 100 years of the Nobel Peace Prize.
His The Agent of Change sculpture and Lift of Freedom painting have been used by The United Nations to help inspire people to make this world a better, safer and saner place to live. The Agent of Change sculpture continues to spark conversation between leaders, heads of state, and the media.
The Agent of Change
This is a common trend within Spar’s artwork. He understands that humanity struggles with fear, doubt and shame in different ways. When describing what he wants his art to express he says, “The message I want my art to convey is a re-stimulation and recharging of our moments of high resolve, so we can be lifted out of the myriad of life’s distractions and given a place for renewal, a place that reverberates with the power of our innermost conviction.”
Each piece of Spar’s art serves a different purpose, explores a different facet of life’s challenges and celebrates the courage it takes to live in the most honest way possible. One of his pieces called Deeper Love was inspired by the love of his life, his wife. “What I have learned with my beloved wife is that no matter how deeply we love another, that love can always go deeper. [Deeper Love] is my prayer for myself, my wife, daughter and every being on this planet. May we all know the goodness and grace of ever-deepening love. May our hearts be filled to their ever-expanding capacity, and our souls be overwhelmed with that deliciousness.”
Spar is currently working with The United Nations to make artworks that will help spread the undeniable statements about how the people of this world deserve to have respect be the prevailing right of every human being.
Spar leaves us with this inspiring note, “Throughout history we have seen how ordinary people with big hearts and unwavering vision have triumphed over so many of the horrible things we humans have done to each other. I am looking forward to being a change agent with my life and my work, and bearing witness to more and more inspired people rising to triumph over adversity.”
Visit the Galerie Zuger Vail on February 19th from 3-7pm.
141 East Meadow Drive # 208 Vail, CO 81657
Source URL: https://dujour.com/culture/behind-the-exhibit-spar-street-artist/