Medium: Mixed media on board (layered painted fabric, texture, collage elements)
Artist: Paul Pollaro (American, 1921–2017)
Dimensions: 20.75" W x 23.75" H (sight)
Frame: Hand-carved wood frame with painted grey inset trim
Signature: Signed lower left
Condition: Good; wear consistent with age
Mixed media sculptural portrait by Paul Pollaro, constructed from layers of painted fabric and texture. Each individual piece is treated with a distinct paint application and surface texture, creating a richly layered, almost relief-like surface. The work is mounted in a hand-carved wood frame with a painted grey inset trim. Signed in the lower left corner. In good condition with wear consistent with age.
Paul Pollaro (1921–2017) was an American mixed-media artist known for his collage and assemblage works. Born in New York City, he studied at the Art Students League from 1945 to 1948 and later at the Pratt Graphic Center. He was based in Hancock, New Hampshire for much of his career.
Pollaro's work is characterized by his use of found materials. He incorporated scraps of old cloth, weathered canvas decking, and fabric remnants retrieved from junk shops and boatyards into his compositions. His "sculptural paintings" often resemble classical frescoes or aged walls. He described his process as "studied yet intuitive," working on the floor and selecting and adjusting each element until achieving the desired balance of color, shape, and texture.
Pollaro received numerous grants and fellowships, including awards from the Tiffany Foundation and the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. He held multiple residencies at the Macro well Colony and served as its associate director from 1973 to 1977. He also taught at The New School and served as assistant professor and chairman of the art department at Wagner College.
Pollaro exhibited extensively throughout his career. His first major museum show was held at The Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1991, where his work Epiphany I (1990–1991) remains in the permanent collection. Other solo exhibitions included shows at Louis Newman Galleries in Beverly Hills, Franz Bader Gallery in Washington D.C., and McGowan Fine Arts in Concord, New Hampshire.
Museum Holdings:
Works by Paul Pollaro are held in the permanent collections of several institutions. The Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, holds Epiphany I (1990–1991), a mixed media collage on canvas. The Mead Art Museum at Amherst College holds Temple XI (1988), a mixed media collage with pastel and paint on board. Pollaro's archival records are also held at the Smithsonian Institution's Archives of American Art.
Medium: Mixed media on board (layered painted fabric, texture, collage elements)
Artist: Paul Pollaro (American, 1921–2017)
Dimensions: 20.75" W x 23.75" H (sight)
Frame: Hand-carved wood frame with painted grey inset trim
Signature: Signed lower left
Condition: Good; wear consistent with age
Mixed media sculptural portrait by Paul Pollaro, constructed from layers of painted fabric and texture. Each individual piece is treated with a distinct paint application and surface texture, creating a richly layered, almost relief-like surface. The work is mounted in a hand-carved wood frame with a painted grey inset trim. Signed in the lower left corner. In good condition with wear consistent with age.
Paul Pollaro (1921–2017) was an American mixed-media artist known for his collage and assemblage works. Born in New York City, he studied at the Art Students League from 1945 to 1948 and later at the Pratt Graphic Center. He was based in Hancock, New Hampshire for much of his career.
Pollaro's work is characterized by his use of found materials. He incorporated scraps of old cloth, weathered canvas decking, and fabric remnants retrieved from junk shops and boatyards into his compositions. His "sculptural paintings" often resemble classical frescoes or aged walls. He described his process as "studied yet intuitive," working on the floor and selecting and adjusting each element until achieving the desired balance of color, shape, and texture.
Pollaro received numerous grants and fellowships, including awards from the Tiffany Foundation and the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. He held multiple residencies at the Macro well Colony and served as its associate director from 1973 to 1977. He also taught at The New School and served as assistant professor and chairman of the art department at Wagner College.
Pollaro exhibited extensively throughout his career. His first major museum show was held at The Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1991, where his work Epiphany I (1990–1991) remains in the permanent collection. Other solo exhibitions included shows at Louis Newman Galleries in Beverly Hills, Franz Bader Gallery in Washington D.C., and McGowan Fine Arts in Concord, New Hampshire.
Museum Holdings:
Works by Paul Pollaro are held in the permanent collections of several institutions. The Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, holds Epiphany I (1990–1991), a mixed media collage on canvas. The Mead Art Museum at Amherst College holds Temple XI (1988), a mixed media collage with pastel and paint on board. Pollaro's archival records are also held at the Smithsonian Institution's Archives of American Art.
