Jozef Bajus

As part of the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s 2015 Art in Craft Media biennial funded by the Sylvia L. Rosen Endowment, the Langley H. Kenzie Award was created to recognize an outstanding artist from the with a solo show. The award is in honor of Ms. Kenzie, for her dedication as an artist in the craft medium and in support of others like her.

Jozef Bajus, recipient of the 2016 Langley Kenzie Award, makes sculpture out of detritus or discarded material of our culture. Jozef Bajus: Nothing is Going Away, defines some possible future - far from the landfill. We frequently rely on, "I am throwing this away", as an end to our societal obligation. What if we had to take on the byproducts of all of our consumption? We could start with composting from our dinners. That would be good for our gardens, but doesn’t have a meaningful impact on the remainders from industry. For every book we read, garment we wear, or car we drive the waste from industry is the most dramatic. Bajus takes this as a challenge and a responsibility. The beautiful sculpture that he creates dares all of us to understand the possibilities.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.