Francis X. Pavy (born March 2, 1954) is a
Cajun American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
painter and sculptor. His work has been exhibited in
New York City,
New Orleans, Louisiana,
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
,
Los Angeles, California,
France, and
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
Early life
Pavy was born in
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette (, ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the most populous city and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, located along the Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's fourth largest incorporated municipality by population and the 234th- ...
on March 2, 1954. In his youth, he studied under the visual artist
Elemore Morgan, Jr. He attended the
University of Southwestern Louisiana, where he studied music, ceramics, animation, painting, printmaking and sculpture. In 1976, he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture.
Art
Pavy's art is strongly influenced by his Cajun heritage and the mythology and storytelling of the Southern U.S. His work features recognizable Louisianan archetypes, such as
zydeco instruments and rural Southern architecture—art critic Calvin Harland described him as "one of the very few artists of a...Cajun Heritage to have made in-depth use of his native source material." He melds these archetypes with sophisticated patterning for a psychedelic effect.
Pavy paints on canvas and paper. He also paints on "constructions," simple sculptures of wood, plastic, and found objects that give his paintings three-dimensionality.
In Spring 2011, the Acadiana Center for the Arts in Lafayette, Louisiana honored Pavy with a retrospective of his 35-year career.
Trivia
Lorne Michaels owns a print of Pavy's painting, ''Zydeco Blues'', and hangs it in his office. As a result, the print can frequently be seen on ''
Saturday Night Live.''
References
External links
Francis X Pavy official Web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pavy, Francis X
People from Lafayette, Louisiana
Living people
20th-century American painters
American male painters
21st-century American painters
21st-century American male artists
Painters from Louisiana
1954 births
20th-century American sculptors
20th-century American male artists
21st-century American sculptors
American male sculptors
University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumni
Sculptors from Louisiana