Critical Commentary

Donald Kuspit: "Pamina Traylor's series of organic, vaginal-like images in "Cadence" remind us of the erotic potential of glass. Glass is at once a fragile yet strong material, suggesting that Traylor's evocative female forms have the same strength -- as their forthrightness suggests -- as well as fragility, indicated by their "self-divided" character. There is an understated excitement to Traylor's installation, confirmed by her exquisite handling. Subtly conceptual and starkly subtle at once, Traylor's postminimalist serial sculptures speak to contemporary social as well as aesthetic concerns."

Daniel Kany: "Pamina Traylor's sculpture is based on pairs. But rather than pursuing uniformity or similarity, her work explores oppositions through form, material, structure, and finish. Traylor, who is the Acting Glass Program Chair at the California College of Arts and Crafts, tends to work with glass and metal. The majority of her pieces are solid glass forms juxtaposed with metal or wood structures that articulate the glass through a context of form. The relationships between the elements are overarchingly sensual, regardless of complexity. Traylor's work is about dichotomies: strength/vulnerability, confinement/sanctuary, public/private, and the performance of gender difference. Traylor is keenly aware of how language and its subtexts affect the perceptions of the viewer and she highlights this strength in her work: an accompanying text may not describe a work, but, rather, alter its apparent context, dissolving any obvious meaning along the way. Traylor wants the viewer to notice the interaction of an object with its shadows. By making us look in between things, Traylor reminds us there is no singular truth inherent in any object. This approach makes her use of gloriously sexual imagery poignant through sexuality's constant desire for an Other. Traylor's masterful craftsmanship ensures these statements and conversations are particularly articulate, witty and beautiful."