Robert Pasternak (Nak) is one of Canada's most prolific and original visionary artists and creates Metaphysical Still Life (or, Moving Life), surrealistic, abstract & ethereal, diagrammatic & scientific fusion (or, perhaps fission) using acrylic paint with traditional brushes on canvas, board and wood panel. “Spiritual Mechanix” is Pasternak's first exhibition in the United Sates. The artist creates a bridge and often a portal to different states of consciousness, connecting to some aspect of our corporeal being which he believes has shared energy systems with flowers, insects, magnetic and morphogenic fields, chakras, and is wholly connected to macro & micro systems. Some of his creations speak to the body directly, sidestepping the mind while others speak to the mind in a jumble of images, as if they are clues to a greater understanding. "My work transcends boundaries and time within my oeuvre. I work by way of juggling many stylistic worlds and ideas and do not keep to one period of work for any great length of time but am always coming back to add to that body. In this, the creation of work does not really follow linear paths. In this revisiting of themes and styles, I find interesting cross-references where one informs the other. All these sets of work are unique to themselves yet are connected and part of other groups and therefore part of a larger whole" states Pasternak. “Spiritual Mechanix” is comprised of a sampling of some of the areas and styles of Pasternak's works that have been continually developing over his artistic practice, enabling the viewer to see a larger continuity.
Pasternak has worked as a production artist, designing for the garment industry, including logo and crest designs and color separations for screen-printing. He was the art director for Zygote magazine for two years. He worked as a digital colorist for a multimedia firm. Robert's art has graced the covers of many books, including authors Timothy Findley, Guy Vanderhaeghe, Phyllis Gotlieb and Robert Enright. In addition, he is a recurring cover artist for such publications as On Spec. He continues to work as a freelance graphic designer, illustrator and fine artist, working on commissioned paintings as well as his own ideas. Pasternak also produces films that are experiments in sound & motion and are extensions of his bilateral symmetry paintings. His first work in this medium was the only Canadian short film selected to play at the Venice Film Festival (Italy) in 2003. The artist will be screening his film work at the opening reception of “Spiritual Mechanix”.
