Nancy Cervenka

These sculptures are made of movie film. The colors and texture are the characteristics of the various types of film I work with in my sculptures. I discovered this process while pursuing a master’s degree in cinematography. As a filmmaker, I worked with film for the sole purpose of projecting the finished piece on the screen. I soon realized I was just as fascinated with the material itself. I enjoyed handling the long strands of celluloid, watching the tiny images slide between my fingers, revealing blends of color, movement and flashes of light. Each piece is created by spiraling the film into conical forms. Within each strand of film, time is represented in linear succession as 24 frames per second. Upon closer inspection, the patterns contained within each sculpture reveal themselves as overlapping bands of still images. With the aid of a magnifying lens, recognizable and abstract images are discovered. This information acts as the storyline of my process as a filmmaker, and my ongoing exploration of the movie film. The sculptures are containers of time, fossil-like forms made from a disappearing medium. This is my meditation, my search for center, balance and focus.

I was born in Chicago in the mid 50's and grew up in the suburbs. Being the second to the youngest in a family of 6, I was allowed all the freedom I wanted. I discovered early on that I loved all of the colors, scents and textures that life outdoors presented to me. My first recollection that I was interested in art was in 2nd grade when I discovered that by really pressing down hard with my crayons, I could not only control the intensity of color in my drawing, I could also leave bits of wax on the paper as texture. I was hooked and continued my passion for making all things art. After graduating from high school, I moved to Tampa, Florida to study Fine Arts at the University of South Florida where I gravitated toward ceramics and sculpture. I happened to take an intro to animation class and discovered the magic of filmmaking. Two years later I received an MFA in Cinematography. While working towards my master’s degree, I began working with the movie film as a sculptural material, satisfying a desire to work in 3D while still working with the film, and I never looked back. I have been creating and exhibiting my film sculptures for the past 35+ years. I've won numerous top awards, grants, and fellowships from the State of Florida. My artwork is currently in several public and private collections. I have been living full-time in Mountainair, NM for the past 5 years. My greatest achievements are and always will be my 2 beautiful daughters, who currently reside in Seattl

3-D, Installation, Multi-Media, Sculpture