Silent Defiance: Ceramic Sculpture by Paul Metivier

t a time of rowdy marches, outraged protests and growing awareness of systemic racism within the United States, artists are increasingly being recognized as anticipating many of these themes: anger at inequities, not to mention violence perpetrated against citizens of color and violent and nonviolent demonstrators. Paul Metivier is such an artist. For the past decade, the Renton, Washington resident has been creating realistic wall-mounted effigies of individuals who are expressing inner rage, often with eyes closed and, in a series of installations in Seattle at Gallery IMA and in Auburn, Washington at (2009-2020) literally advance from the gallery wall, torsos and busts coming toward us. Their silent defiance of authority and existing inequalities is bold, activating the white cube space with considerable power.