Frank Pasian is a painter and also works as a set designer for Opera York in Toronto. Although painting is his first and enduring passion, the spectacle and schedule of set design appeals to Franks work ethic and appreciation of collaborative production. And, despite the fact that he has been designing and building sets for the opera company for only 10 years, his study of art and history has been leading him to this work for his entire life. Frank has studied at the Three Schools in Toronto, the Ontario College of Art and Design, The Toronto School of Art, and the Sadie Bronfman Centre in Montreal.
Since retiring from teaching after 42 years, Frank and his wife Diane now divide their time between Toronto and Montreal. This gives Frank access to two vibrant and challenging artistic communities as well as more time with his children and grandchildren.
Artists Statement
The focus of my work is the application of paint to canvas. Whether my subject is a figure, old flowers, or cigarette butts in an ashtray, I am less interested in creating a faithful rendition than of challenging myself to apply the paint in a new and different way.
As an artist, I am concerned with the abstract elements of painting: shape, movement, negative space, and the tension created between the planes of the final piece. For me, the power or emotional impact of a any work of art is generated not through narrative, but through the achievement and interplay of rich and textured colour.
