John Pavlicek

In the tradition of Kurt Schwitters and Georges Braque, Pavlicek continues the exploration of technique and possibilities offered by collage. The artist has a long-standing affinity for jazz, and fragments of sheet music often appear in his work. The compositions themselves are tightly composed in a manner that reflects the delicate layering of jazz or orchestral music. Lines curved and vertical define his canvases, working in balanced harmony with shape, color, and pattern. Though layered, Pavlicek’s large-scale collages remain airy rather than dense. Pavlicek was born in 1946 in Lubbock, Texas. He attended the University of Dallas, where he studied painting. This training shines through in the balance of opaque color blocks and soft washes that buffer the linear structure of his canvases.

John Pavlicek