This unique artist team begins with a creative parent and child partnership. Paul chose to attend art school later in life, and Elena grew up watching her father grow into his professional artist career. Paul comes from humble beginnings in rural Kansas which bonded him to the land and animals of the Midwest. His first series of sculptures began with a steel cowboy hat; the hat for Paul is not merely an accessory, but a necessity for those working the land. The cowboy hat is deeply personal to Paul; the symbol of the hat references his childhood.

As a child Elena was always supported artistically by her father. Paul often asked Elena for advice and assistance with his studio projects. Elena’s university education in Art History and Studio Art consequently elevates her personal work in social issues of sexism, sexuality, and gender. Elena has always been fascinated with the complexities of metalworking and sculpture although she does experiment with many artistic media. A mentorship was the natural choice to develop Elena’s professional artist career and diversify the potential of Paul’s studio.

The father daughter duo began by embellishing on Paul’s existing cowboy/cowgirl series of work but has since developed other collaborative series of work. Paul’s interest in abstraction and mathematical growth patterns along with Elena’s passion for pushing socially constructed boundaries has led them to propel their sculpture into new realms. Their current series of work manipulates jewelry techniques to temper and soften the rigid nature of metalwork sculpture.

tags:solo,current

Facets of Growth

Paul & Elena Jones