CHRISTOPHER PEKOC HAND MADE

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1 Henri Focillon, “In Praise of Hands” in The Life Forms of Art (New York: Zone Books, 1989), 157.

Hands in myriad gestures—

extending invitation, protecting,

playfully balancing balls or in

Tantric poses—recur again and

again in Christopher Pekoc’s

evocative assemblages. The

artist’s complex constructions

also convey the presence of

his hand in their making—

with scarred surfaces

serving as metaphors for

our imperfections. Pekoc

comments that hands appear

alongside dots, another of his

favored motifs, as far back as

the Prehistoric cave paintings

at Pech Merle in France. He

cites Henri Focillon’s essay

“In Praise of Hands,” quoted

above, as an influence.

A native of Cleveland, where he has forged his career, Pekoc uses the familiarity he acquired with tools in

his family’s hardware stores to invent techniques that assist him in achieving his artistic purpose. Always

adept with his hands, Pekoc quickly mastered traditional artistic skills—ably portraying the faces and

hands of aging family members in exquisite graphite drawings while in his early 20s. Pekoc’s facility with

pencil on paper encouraged the artist’s turn toward more complex media—creating large canvases using

airbrush and acrylic paint. His monumental Night Sky, Cleveland, installed at the Cleveland Public Library

Hands are almost living beings. Only servants? Possibly.

Servants, then, endowed with a vigorous free spirit, with a physiognomy.

Eyeless and voiceless faces that nonetheless see and speak.1

Fig. 1. Portrait of Kathryn with the Planets, 1992, mixed media, including gelatin silver

and electrostatic prints, paper, polyester film, brass leaf, food seal and machine stitching,

24 ¾ x 28 ½ in., Collection of Jack and Mary Ann Katzenmeyer, Shaker Heights.

Photo by Joe Levack/Studio Akron

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2 Christopher Pekoc has generously shared comments on his work with the author in conversations at his studio

in Cleveland and in Akron, Ohio, dating from August 2013 through September 2014.

in 1979, is on prominent public display. The forms that comprised these compositions

were defined in collages Pekoc assembled from printed advertisements and other

magazine imagery. Once he mastered the airbrush, Pekoc’s enthusiasm for executing

the paintings diminished, making him receptive to a friend’s encouragement to

“consider collage an appropriate end product.” 2

Since 1988, Pekoc has created an impressive series of photographically-based

assemblages whose surfaces are constructed with and visually enriched by

stitching. Artists Al Loving, Alan Shields and Lucas Samaras influenced his decision

to incorporate sewing as an integral part of his compositions. The artist has clear

memories of Andy Warhol’s photographs of an airplane wing sewn together horizontally

and vertically. For Pekoc, stitching “symbolizes the repair of the psyche,” referencing

setbacks we encounter and surmount in the course of our lives. In his assemblages,

Pekoc reinforces this content by featuring emphatic gestures, as well as expressive

faces and torsos.

Although Pekoc expresses a preference for working at night in his basement studio in

Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, he is attuned to the activities of artists working both

close to home and afar. The walls of his studio are covered with elements Pekoc uses in

his compositions—including cut outs of eyes, birds, crosses, snakes, discs and hearts.

They also showcase postcards depicting artworks from across centuries and throughout

the world. These include Italian Renaissance portraits, Albrecht Dürer’s engraving Adam

and Eve and Lucas Cranach’s painting of Lucretia and more contemporary works by

Francis Bacon, Yayoi Kusama and Arthur Gonzalez. He recalls seeing photographs by

Doug and Mike Starn in Boston in the 1980s and Luis Gonzalez Palma’s compositions

on frequent visits to museums, including the Akron Art Museum. An avid consumer of

magazines and purchaser of art books, Pekoc admires artists as diverse as Lesley Dill,

David Ireland, Anselm Kiefer, Mimmo Paladino and Andrew Wyeth.

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Portrait of Kathryn with the Planets (Fig. 1), an early assemblage, differs from

many of Pekoc’s later works in that its central component is a traditional gelatin

silver print rather than a Xerox enlargement. Pekoc enjoyed experimenting in

the darkroom, but—as with other endeavors—lost interest when he became

proficient. He took Kathryn’s photograph as a test for another artwork, but it

“proved too faint for its original purpose.” This was one of many occasions when

the artist redeployed an image or took advantage of an accident.

The surface of Portrait of Kathryn with the Planets reveals the complexity of its

construction. Kathryn’s head is crowned with wings from a sculpture Pekoc

photographed behind the Cleveland Museum of Art—wings the artist shows

bound, restricting their freedom. He speaks of composing with the primary

concern of how his forms fit visually, but also consciously endows them with

personal symbolism. Here his references range from planets that serve as

indications of “a power in this universe that is greater than we are” to the thorns

on the hand at the right alluding to life’s ups and downs. For Pekoc, the circular

form floating above Kathryn’s head—a repurposed yogurt container seal—is

at once an orb and an allusion to the subject’s femininity. On inspection, we

discover other images that are not what they appear to be, with the heart at the

lower edge in fact a cropped magazine photograph of the knees of a model in

leopard print tights.

As has become his custom, Pekoc laminated his photographs to allow him to

manipulate them more easily. Portrait of Kathryn with the Planets was shellacked

and the figure covered with clear acrylic medium. As evidence of his hand,

Pekoc left traces of the masking tape he used to hold elements in place. Since

he envisioned his composition being pinned up with tacks for display, he applied

a muslin backing with clear acrylic medium that seeped through to the front,

causing the surface “to ripple, look like leather.”

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Portrait of Lara (as Olympia) (Fig. 2),

2000–June 8, 2008, acknowledges

Pekoc’s practice of dating works

at their start and completion–and

their often extended duration in

his studio. Here the figure, again a

muse, is composed from separate

photographs Pekoc took of the

model’s head and body. Their

imperfect fit is disguised by the

ribbon that surrounds her neck,

which alludes to the iconic Edouard

Manet painting that provides its title.

Again Pekoc reused an image from

another project for this composition.

Now deprived of the darkroom

Case Western Reserve University

once offered, he instead enlarged

Lara’s portrait with Xerox, seeking

to “take the photograph and drag

it as far into the world of painting

as it can go” by magnifying his

image to the extent possible and

achieving maximum value contrast.

Spots of paint on the surface,

which Pekoc carefully spattered off

a toothbrush, likewise reflect his

interest in achieving a painterly effect. A smudge on Lara’s shoulder remains as residue from the artist gilding

the composition, then, dissatisfied, deciding to scrape away the gold tone—an indication of his experimental

approach and willingness to leave evidence of his arduous process. The background, which has the quality of

“lumpy silver,” is material leftover from another project.

Fig. 2. Portrait of Lara (as Olympia), 2000–June 8, 2008, mixed media, including aluminum leaf and laminated electrostatic prints on polyester film and machine stitching, 25 5/8 x 22 in., Collection of Ursula Korneitchouk, Cleveland

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Fig. 3. Shadows (The Chinese Room

Remembered, in Red), Čimelice Castle, Czech

Republic, 2001, mixed media, including brass leaf,

laminated electrostatic prints on polyester film,

paper and machine stitching, 65 ½ x 30 ½ in.,

Private Collection, Cleveland

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An invitation from the Ohio Arts Council to spend two months in

the Czech Republic in 2001 proved decisive for Pekoc, particularly

since it closely followed the death of his father. Pekoc was moved

when he learned that Čimalice Castle, where he stayed, was only a

short distance from the ancestral homeland his father had dreamed

of visiting. Čimalice proved more a chateau than a castle; a grand

home dating to the late 1800s that had fallen into some disrepair.

Pekoc shared communal dinners with thirteen other artists from the

United States, Europe and Australia, and found himself responding

to the surrounding countryside and embracing new materials he

encountered there.

Despite his fascination with Čimalice’s rural landscape and the

peasant routines he observed, Pekoc was drawn to the castle

interior. He began photographing details of the structure and décor,

which reflected the influence of Orientalism in Europe at the time of

the castle’s construction. Elaborate footstools, a parquet floor, and

the bamboo and birds used as decorative motifs caught the artist’s

attention. Pekoc sought to reproduce these at scale in Shadows

(The Chinese Room Remembered, in Red), Čimalice Castle, Czech

Republic (Fig. 3). Although the décor of the castle was dominated

by dark greens and browns, Pekoc chose the “regal colors” of red

and gold for his composition. He describes himself as “in love with

this red,” which he discovered in the Czech Republic, and sees its

use as part of his celebration of his time there. While the color was

intended for staining wood, Pekoc realized it could be employed

for his purposes. He achieved the brilliant scarlet by painting on

a roll of paper that he soaked in water, crinkled and left to dry,

with the pooled pigment producing areas of saturated color. The

composition’s sheer beauty is interrupted by an obscure figure that

approaches in the background with hand extended. Not originally

part of Shadows, the silhouette is the first self-portrait Pekoc

incorporated into an assemblage.

Fig. 4. The Juggler’s Hand IV, 2008–October

8, 2010, mixed media, including laminated

electrostatic print on film, brass and aluminum

leaf, plastic discs, laminated wax paper and food

container seals and machine stitching, 36 x 23

1/8 in., Courtesy of the artist and Tregoning &

Co., Cleveland

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3 Thomas Ball,The Beauty of Damage: The World of Christopher Pekoc (Cleveland: Telos Productions, 2008).

Balancing Blue (Fig. 5) features the sumptuous manganese

blue pigment Pekoc discovered in the Czech Republic.

The artist’s own outsized fingers hold bright blue forms

symbolizing the color he works with as a painter. These

contrast with amber circles that function as accents and

acknowledge shellac as another important medium in his

work. Another composition with a prominent hand, The

Juggler’s Hand IV (Fig. 4), references the “precariousness of

life.” Pekoc notes how juggling requires skill and how “we’re

always juggling different things to get through the days,

weeks, years.” This image is backed by a sheet of wax paper

that the artist had used to capture shellac, its dark outlines

residue from earlier compositions. Pekoc added silver leaf

to the lower section when Thomas Ball asked to show this

process in his award-winning film on the artist and describes

its contrast with gold leaf above as serendipitous. 3

Threats to nature and environmental degradation have

increasingly engaged Pekoc, concerns that are embodied

in his recent work. As an example, Black Hand, Gold Dove

(Fig. 6) was conceived as a commentary on the fossil fuel

industry. The ominous hand is formed by material that Pekoc

cut from the background of Balancing Blue (Fig. 5), one

of the more dramatic examples of how the artist reutilizes

his scraps—and of how dissimilar his motifs appear when

placed in different contexts. Both the forms between the

fingers and the hand, which Pekoc elaborated with scrawl

stitching to increase its visual interest, represent coal. The

dove that hovers above symbolizes nature, its gold color

signifying value. While the menacing cloud surrounding the

bird alludes to pollution, Pekoc comments that its sparkling

gold dots signal the possibility of correcting the damage the

earth has sustained.

Fig. 5. Balancing Blue, 2008–September 11, 2010,

mixed media, including laminated electrostatic print,

polyester film, paper and machine stitching, 24 ¾ x

15 ¾ in., Courtesy of the artist and Tregoning & Co.,

Cleveland

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Among his current projects, Pekoc

is engaged with photographs he

took of the renowned photographer

Jan Saudek in the Czech Republic.

Long an admirer of Saudek’s work,

particularly an early self-portrait series

that he had viewed in New Orleans

many years before, Pekoc secured an

introduction to the artist. Since Saudek

had portrayed himself progressively

disrobing, Pekoc asked his subject to

remove his shirt and jewelry, requests

that Saudek largely accommodated.

Working with black and white film and

without access to a tripod, Pekoc

took six photographs, each capturing

Saudek expressively gesticulating. In

addition to serving as a portrait of an

artist he admires and who connects

him with his Czech heritage, Pekoc

describes The Architecture of the

Sky (Portrait of Jan Saudek in Blue

with Bees) (Cover) as addressing the

importance of “preserving nature,

being one with and respectful of

nature.” Initially thinking he would not

use this photograph, Pekoc pulled

it out when Ball wanted to film him

using a blowtorch. Following the

demonstration, Pekoc liked the effect

the blowtorch had created and regained

interest in the image, which he now

envisions as part of a series of six

assemblages featuring Saudek.

Fig. 6. Black Hand, Gold Dove, 2008–2013, mixed media, including laminated

electrostatic print on film, brass leaf, polyester film, paper and machine stitching,

40 x 25 in., Courtesy of the artist and Tregoning & Co., Cleveland

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4 Richard Avedon, Ronald Fischer, Beekeeper, Davis, California, May 9, 1981, from the portfolio In the American West.

The yellow jackets that surround the

subject in The Architecture of the Sky pay

homage to Richard Avedon’s startling

portrait of an albino beekeeper.4 Pekoc

references the collapse of bee colonies

as a cause for concern about our

environment and notes that Saudek’s

pose emphasizes his eyes, suggesting

the power of his vision. On one level,

Saudek can be viewed as having the

vision required to be an insightful

photographer and “on another, the vision

to identify the need to be more respectful

of the planet.”

Portrait of K. as Eve with a Black Heart

(Fig. 8) revives a theme Pekoc has

explored for more than two decades. This

new composition is the culmination of

an extended series of images of Adam

and Eve from the 1990s. The earlier

images, many of which featured full-

length figures, were intended in part to

address the failure of men and women

to communicate, a theme Pekoc has

identified as central to his work. The

artist was inspired to embark on Portrait

of K. as Eve by his interest in animating

a powerful image that had sat in his

studio unused. The figure of Eve, from

a gelatin silver photograph Pekoc made

in 1991, is printed life-size surrounded

by some of the iconic elements—lilies,

Fig. 8. Portrait of K. as Eve with a Black Heart (in progress), 2014, mixed media,

including gelatin silver print, on laminated electrostatic prints, polyester film, paper

and machine stitching, 41 ½ x 33 in., Courtesy of the artist and Tregoning & Co.,

Cleveland

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hearts, dots—the artist stores sorted in cardboard trays to draw upon as

needed. The muse featured in Portrait of Kathryn with the Planets (Fig. 1) is

now depicted with her arms crossed over her chest, the artist’s longstanding

symbol for female beauty. Pekoc wrestled with the composition for some

time, initially demurring from placing the figure against a black background,

which functions as a symbol of night. He views this in opposition to amber as

indicative of daytime and embodying female attributes.

Christopher Pekoc’s assemblages are distinctive among the work of his

colleagues in Cleveland and far beyond. At a time when artists are engaging

with technology and exploring new tools, Pekoc uses gelatin silver and Xerox

prints, shellac, sandpaper, punches and other common tools and materials

to expressive effect. He employs hand stitching to supply content to his

compositions, as well as to add visual resonance—another uncommon

approach. Pekoc’s work is dark and reflects the artist’s preference for the

night and interest in exploring the human psyche. His content has expanded

over time, admitting new concerns and reflecting both his added experiences

and new reflections on ongoing themes. Compositions developed in the

studio over the course of months and sometimes years are thoughtful,

engaging and original.

Janice Driesbach

Chief Curator

November 2014

Cover: The Architecture of the Sky (Portrait of Jan Saudek in Blue with Bees), 2001–2014, mixed

media on laminated electrostatic prints on paper, brass leaf, polyester film and machine stitching,

36 ½ x 36 in., Courtesy of the artist and Tregoning & Co., Cleveland

CHRISTOPHER PEKOC HAND MADENovember 15, 2014 – April 26, 2015

For further information on the artist:

Adams, Henry. The Beauty of Damage: The World of Christopher Pekoc.

Cleveland: Case Western Reserve University through Green Panda Press, 2008.

Ball, Thomas with Henry Adams, The Beauty of Damage: The World of Christopher Pekoc.

Cleveland: Telos Productions, 2008.

Connections: Ohio Artists Abroad. Columbus: Ohio Arts Council, 2002.

This exhibition is organized by the Akron Art Museum and made possible by generous

grants from the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, the John P. Murphy Foundation

and the Ohio Arts Council.

One South High I Akron, OH 44308 I 330.376.9186 I AkronArtMuseum.org