Knob Portrait: President Trump Sculpture

My art always begins by considering the situation itself as the medium. I think of the whole world, from cityscapes to the natural world, as an artwork; as a dynamic and ever-changing three-dimensional environmental performance. From my earliest explorations in art, I have been influenced by the conceptual lexicon of the Situationist International movement, and by their idea of psycho-geography, in which the environment is believed to affect the behavior of individuals. My artworks are conceived to integrate directly into urban landscapes, both reflecting and transforming our experience of the city, while making evident both visible and invisible cultural forces at play. These projects manifest an intense poetic connection between people and place, while drawing upon the expressive possibilities of often familiar and readily-available materials by bringing them into conversation with a receptive viewer or “experiencer.” This conceptual approach is the foundation of my artistic practice and defines my role as a member of a new generation of artist-architects seeking to expand and shape the collective experience of the contemporary city. My work frequently engages a passive-kinetic artistic strategy, whereby, without moving parts, a sense of movement and rhythm visually activates the work as the viewer moves. These works depend on thoughtful composition and detailed design to express the concept of three dimensionality and parallax, often in low-relief sculptural form. In recent years, my art practice has transitioned toward publicly commissioned works, regularly collaborating with large consultant teams, fabricators and community stakeholders. I lead a creative team of talented coworkers, which allows Paul Raff Studio to successfully execute large and complex projects, often involving mass transit, infrastructure, and urban planning. Bio: The artist and architect Paul Raff founded Paul Raff Studio in 2003. The Studio has since become an award-winning, multi-disciplinary practice, dedicated to art and design projects that manifest a profound attentiveness to movement and light in particular, works which arise out of a nuanced material and cultural dialogue. The Studio’s scope of work is broad, and encompasses a range of artistic projects for public agencies and private clients alike.