Michael Velliquette installation

The Kohler Art Library is pleased to showcase a new temporary art installation by UW Art Department faculty member Michael Velliquette. Four of Velliquette’s intricate 2D paper sculpture compositions created between 2011-14 are on display. The intricately constructed paper-based works recall expertly assembled confetti, combining an aesthetic of abundance with an inventive formalism. His choice to work with paper is a conscious decision to utilize a humble, everyday material to open a view into imagined worlds. And in a world of digital laser-cutting, Velliquette cut all paper for the works by hand.

In Serpent (Black / Gold) a restrained metallic color creates the shiny scales of a curvilinear snake, coiled around the page and defanged by the appearance of metallic flowers popping up from the paper. In Fortress a rainbow of small shapes become the stones of an undisclosed castle barricaded with iron window bars and a heavy wooden door. Velliquette’s works reward longer looking, so make sure to look up from your  books (or your phone) during your next visit to the Art Library.

A working artist for 20 years, Velliquette has participated in over 150 exhibitions in museums and galleries in the US, Europe and Asia. He is an Assistant Professor of Art Foundations (the popular Intro to Art 100 series) in the Art Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.