Pat Field's art has its origins in his career as a wildlife biologist. For 30 years his work has been a balance between sculpting and natural resource management. The biologist part involves engaging people in environmental issues and social decisions around how we interact with nature. It naturally followed that Pat's passion for a better understanding of humanity's often uneasy relationship with nature would be reflected in his art. He sees the sculpture as a way of expressing his own interests, and, more importantly, as a way of engaging people in the beauty and centrality of nature all around us.
The sculptures are of wood, soapstone, marble, granite, bronze and other materials. Sizes range from tabletop to large monumental pieces. Pat has been very fortunate to have worked as biologist and artist many countries around the world, including Congo , Jamaica , Belize , US, Korea , Japan , New Zealand , Australia and Vietnam. Pat's hope is that his art can help people reimagine their relation with the natural world, and as a consequence help build benign and sustainable economies and communities.
Most recently he has been working with a sculpture school in Vietnam that has changed its objectives to focus on creating pieces about endangered species and sustainability in Vietnam. Seed money is given to the artists, who then produce products that can be sold abroad. Money that is generated abroad ( Canada, US and Europe) goes back to Vietnam and is split between conservation and training programs at the school. This collaborative relationship has been more satisfying than any personal accomplishments.
Nurture: This collaborative sculpture arose out of a group show organized by Denis Kleine and Pat Field on the theme of sustainability. A Vietnamese artist Phan was invited to contribute. He was given ideas from Pat and Denis about the environment in BC and designs of their previous work. Their ideas and Mr. Phan's own vision inspired this wonderful bird form. It represents nurture and sits on top of the world like a sort of universal mother. The work is grey marble. Primary sculpting was inspired by done in Vietnam, and finished in BC. Hawk: the concept is power, elegance and grace. This white marble piece was inspired by the sight of a hawk on a nest and is an artistic response to her quiet yet powerful presence. The work was originally modeled in clay, then sculpted in marble.
