Paul Bonomini is a British sculptor. He was born, lives and works in London, UK. He is an elected and active member of the Royal Society of sculptors (MRSS).
Paul’s work currently follows two flows. The first is based on his interest in the beauty and symmetry of The Platonic Solids, in particular the cube. The second follows a more organic, narrative driven set of themes. His work is driven by process, and materials; casting, forging and constructing pieces in a range of materials, including bronze, iron, concrete, glass, steel and more recently 3D printed plastics. Although distinctly different his two current areas of interest are intrinsically linked by their homogeny of material usage. Paul’s background in Theatre Design informs his use of space, spatial relationships and occasionally narrative.
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About two of the works
L’Ascensione – Wells Art Contemporary 2022
My Installation “L’Ascensione” (The Ascension) is a physical expression of man’s struggle for enlightenment. The third century Christian scholar, Origen Adamantius interpreted the Ascension-story in a mystical way, as an “ascension of the mind rather than the body”. In modern times, a literal reading of the Ascension-stories has become problematic, due to the differences between the pre-scientific cosmology of the times of Jesus, and the scientific worldview that leaves no place for a Heaven above earth. In my sculpture the mind is represented as a tangle of convoluted pipes ascending the steps to the chapter-house. A maelstrom of overlapping thoughts, dreams, ideas jostle together, gradually resolving themselves into a single thread of mental clarity. The sculpture could be equally read as ascending and simultaneously descending thus creating a duality of thought, or infinite directional conversation.
The Chapter-house steps are an ideal location for my installation as they create a naturally exaggerated perspective which further enhances the work. The way in which it climbs the steps and the reflective quality of the galvanised steel form a strong connection to the building, setting up a physical dialogue with the past and present.
Chaos – Old Parcels Office Art Space 2022
Chaos (2022) is my most ambitious installation to date and marks the culmination of a multi-year body of work exploring industrial materials and their potential reconfiguration. This piece is created from 200mm diameter repurposed air conditioning ducting. It takes the form of a mass of twisting, interlocking reflective pipes simultaneously embodying the meandering of water pathways, and cumulatively forming the presence of a weighty, shifting cloud. Through this contrast between industrial building blocks and the sensual elements of nature that they evoke, Chaos both reflects and critiques our relationship to the environment.
Now more pressing than ever, this installation highlights the looming threat of our dependence on pipelines and the fragility of the complex network of global supply chains we have come to rely on. Enhancing this visceral sense of fragility and the inherent time pressures of the climate crisis we find ourselves in, is a custom surround sound piece that accompanies the current installation (can be adapted according to location), collaboratively created with the sound designer Dave Hunt, with musical excerpts by Bruno Etienne. Speakers placed both within the piping and strategically located around the exhibition space create an immersive sonic experience that conjures extreme climactic conditions through the crashing of ice, peals of thunder and lightning, the crackling of burning fires, alongside the distinctive ticking of multiple clocks.
