The Curator’s Corner series features the artists whose works are currently on view at KickstART Gallery as they respond to questions provided by Ted Hadfield, the curator of exhibitions at KickstART Gallery.

This article focuses on the artist Peter Dunn. Peter is an object maker, designer and sculptor. His new work translates 3-D concepts into graphite drawings and paintings. Dunn received his BFA from Wayne State University and MFA from University of Michigan.  He currently serves on faculty at College for Creative Studies.

Of the current exhibition and Peter’s work, Ted Hadfield writes “as curator the immediate intrigue in The Industrialist and the Seer exhibition by Marat Paransky and Peter Dunn was the idea of the ‘Found Object’.

“I was immediately taken in, yet somewhat confused by the connection and sameness in both bodies of work, but with an overall distinct difference in approach and intent.

“Dunn’s work is 2-D with found 3-D objects that he has imagined, visualized and put to pencil and paint on hardboard. As a sculptor and designer these 2-D images seem to linger as pale organic apparitions with touches of color waiting to be massaged into the third dimension.” 

KickstART Farmington: Which artists (historical or contemporary) inspire you the most and how do they influence your work and life?

Peter Dunn: My influences, or rather my image thievery or image lust, come down to four people. One is Walter Pichler. When interacting with his work, I feel as though I am looking forward to the future. At best, that future can be benevolent but artificial, and at worst, an entanglement of technologies that may or may not be intentionally malevolent. There is something unique about viewing someone’s idea of the future from a future perspective.

Secondly, I draw from different ends of a style, particularly Brutalist architecture. Louis Kahn, with work such as the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California, exemplifies this style. The heavy, almost infinite cement structures with hidden finite wood and the water shaped to create moments of pause. Not as a counterpoint, but Zaha Hadid also works within the same vocabulary, though her verses are much different. The fluidity of her structures reflects neo-futurism. While Kahn creates “cells,” Hadid’s forms evolve and vary continuously.

Lastly, I must credit George Lucas as an influence. It is not necessarily Star Wars per se, but the model makers at ILM who brought his vision to life. His vision was intensely locked in consistency and continuity of the “story” identity. Form and function … and then much more form, because maybe it has a function at some point. I also reflect on his film THX 1138 for its scenes that lack edges. Activity happens in a boundless space that feels more like discomfort than freedom.

KSF: Which writers, poets, musicians, and filmmakers have most influenced your work and life?

PD: I find that most of what I read is related to my professional interests. The writings and work of Donald Norman are particularly influential in my teaching, especially regarding how we perceive objects or interpret evidence of how to perceive them. Design and art are forms of communication, and for a designer, there is a system image—a vision or intention conveyed from the designer to the user. This is vitally important since everything is designed. Someone has thoughtfully conceived how a product should perform for the user, aiming to cover all aspects to achieve the best outcome. In art, the artist has the luxury of providing as much or as little guidance as intended to the viewer.

Being part of Generation X, my skill in making playlists is my superpower (yes, I even made a cape). Music is hugely significant to me, though deciphering it all is a Herculean task. Different music and playlists cater to different aspects of my work. When I am doing initial drawings, I listen to a lot of trip-hop, rap, and old-school hardcore punk, as it’s a physically intense time that requires constant movement (Mark Farina, MF Doom, People Under the Stairs, Black Flag, Negative Approach, Bad Brains, Fang, etc.). As I narrow in on singular lines and precise details toward the end, my playlists shift to more minimal microhouse music, such as Byetone and Ryoji Ikeda, or heavier droning metal like Alice in Chains, Tool, King Buffalo, and Electric Wizard. These genres work best when I am trying to draw precise curves in a single motion.

KSF: If you were to go live on a small island, name one book, one film, one artwork, and one album you would want to take with you.

       

PD: The old “deserted island” scenario: Music would be the easiest choice—the soundtrack for A Clockwork Orange. It takes many directions and is a great experience with headphones. I’m also a sucker for Moog music.

Choosing a film would be a tougher decision, a flip of the coin between Rear Window and North by Northwest. The locations and movement in North by Northwest are exciting, along with the galloping pace of the story. Rear Window has a great set and uses a singular setting for point of view. Both films are gratifying and show how the ordinary can become extraordinary.

I don’t have a single book that has moved me in the way some people are deeply affected by a book. I haven’t had that experience in my life … yet. I would need a collection of stories that offer different experiences with each reading.

If I had to choose one piece of art to experience exclusively, it would be Karina Smigla-Bobinski’s work, ADA. ADA is a large helium-filled balloon with charcoal studs that freely, or with direction, moves in space, making marks on the space in which it exists.   

When I am doing initial drawings, I listen to a lot of trip-hop, rap, and old-school hardcore punk, as it’s a physically intense time that requires constant movement.

KSF: How do you understand the meaning or purpose of your artistic practice?

PD: I have pursued art as a chosen field and a means of self-expression for the last thirty-five years. Although I was raised in an artistic environment, it wasn’t expected to become a lifelong pursuit for me beyond appreciation. I decided to become an artist in college, where I was already majoring in sociology. From that decision, I aimed not only to be an artist but also to become a college educator in art and design. I love teaching and having students teach me new ways of looking, seeing, and reacting to the various realities they want us to experience.

For the past twenty-seven years, I have taught at an art college traditionally strong in Industrial Arts. This was an area I initially had little experience with, but it significantly influenced my work which has previously included furniture design, design fabrication, and architectural fabrication. I began to view my work not through a traditional art background but from the perspective of designing objects to live with.

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The exhibition “The Industrialist and the Seer”, featuring artwork by Marat Paransky and Peter Dunn is on view at the KickstART Gallery through September 28th, 2024.

Curator’s Corner is made possible through the kind support of Artpack Services, Inc.