Noted Pop-Culture Sculptor to Have Month-Long Exhibition at College in June
May 23, 2016
Noted pop-culture collectibles sculptor Patrick Pigott, who has produced character creations for licensors such as Lucas Films, Dreamworks, Disney, Fox, New Line Cinema and Paramount Studios, will exhibit his works at Hudson Valley Community College from June 1 through 30.
"Storytelling with Sculpture" can be seen in the Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation Atrium of the Marvin Library Learning Commons during regular library hours. Admission is free and open to the public.
Known for exceptional attention to detail, Pigott has sculpted popular characters from Star Wars, Star Trek, The Simpsons, Lord of the Rings and Alien among others. He has crafted kids' meal toys for Burger King, as well as figures for companies such as Hasbro and Diamond Select, and museum-quality movie collectibles for Sideshow.
Pigott recently began creating traditional public monuments, including a 7-foot tall bronze statue of the first mayor of Troy, Col. Albert Pawling, which is installed in the newly dedicated Pawling Park, Congress Street and Pawling Avenue in Troy.
Working from his farmhouse studio in Halfmoon, Pigott says, "The traditional role of sculpting in history was to help a society tell its stories. I see my work as part of that history. Whether it's a fictional story with heroes and villains or a true story from a community's history, I try to capture not only an individual's portrait qualities but also a sense of the larger story through expression, gesture and detail."
The exhibition will feature Star Wars and Lord of the Rings figures, The Simpsons and Star Trek production figures, an Alien book cover and wax original and Star Wars relief plaques, supplemented by photos and concept drawings of other creations. Maquettes—or small models—of the Pawling statue and other pieces also will be on display, including Darth Maul, Aurra Sing, Queen Amadilla, Shredder, Obi-Wan, Spiderman, Hulk, Indiana Jones, Worf and Spock.
The art of pop-culture sculpture, Pigott explains, is a widely seen but little understood part of the entertainment world. Action figures and collectibles, based on the newest movie or beloved classic television show, begin with a computer-generated original sculpture or one of clay or wax by an artist. The process requires numerous hours of labor, as the sculptor creatively combines lifelike character modeling with engineering requirements to create the final product prototype.
A native of Michigan, Pigott began his career as an illustrator in Detroit and Chicago. He attended graduate school in New York City.
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Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 80 associate degree and certificate programs in four schools: Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences; and an Educational Opportunity Center for academic and career training. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, it has an enrollment of nearly 12,000 students, and is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and workforce training. Hudson Valley has more than 75,000 alumni.