Timothy Joseph Varro
Biography
“Leaping” into the world on February 29, 1956 I was born Timothy Joseph Varro, (as of 2024 I am 17 years old!). I was born in Regina, Saskatchewan but my family soon relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia. It is here that I grew up, was educated and continue to live
One of my earliest experiences working with clay was as a young boy of 10 years accompanying my Father (Joe Varro) to BCTV’s Saturday Morning “Ron Delorme Show”. We were demonstrating how to make hand-built pinch pots. I remember accidentally dropping my spoon on the cement studio floor and distinctly recall the look on the floor managers face as he firmly motioned with his index finger, pointing to the spoon, for me to get off my stool and pick it up so I could continue my construction….all while the camera rolled!
I believe this is where I developed a real passion for working with my hands while simultaneously intrigued with the technology world of broadcasting through television. This initial experience set the stage, capturing my attention throughout my life and nurtured an interest in the arts: ceramics, photography, graphic arts, video and television production.
As a young man of 19, I had a sharp, life-changing event that resulted in a (burst fracture) spinal cord injury. It caused catastrophic changes which derailed my studies and indeed my life. Through that time as a ISCI patient I found myself having to absorb vast amounts of new information that had to be perceived, navigated and implemented. At first I saw my recovery as getting back to my “normal” self. Through rehab and pain it soon became evident that that would never be. Like so many other ISCI patients I learned how to look for new ways to compensate for my disability…..the need to create never vanished! With faith in God and the support of family I began to bounce back, going forward with my education and a career I had been looking forward to.
While transcending a life of chronic pain, surgical intervention and on-going medical conditions I found clay offered me a way to engage in an innate quirkiness and off-centred approach to my work and life in general. By taking a malleable, organic form and working it with my hands I discovered I can turn my disability into a more uplifting, creative experience and by extension hopefully provide others an opportunity and possibly a greater understanding of the pain experience that underlies my work.
My eclectic style evolved through my youth, observing my Father present his “chalk talks” in Sunday School, painting with him in his basement studio and continuing to create ceramic pieces. There were numerous summers spent in Regina, Saskatchewan where I was fascinated to watch my Grandfather (Frank Cicansky) work in his garage as a skilled Blacksmith, Carpenter and naive Folk Artist. As well, I was able to observe my Uncle (Victor Cicansky) create what I thought were the most cool and unique hand-built sculptures.
This interest in the Arts propelled me into the field of art education……learning to use contemporary, innovative ideas while teaching art, showing leadership and forward thinking administration. While pioneering new technologies in the media arts, graphic arts, television and theatre, I was able to go beyond the classroom and find work in the television and film industries and front of house and back stage theatre work. I have contributed as a consultant for various television programs and high school TV and media arts labs. I
With such a full and storied involvement throughout my career, my health, raising a family and my personal art projects most often took a back seat. Now that I am in retirement, I am fully engaged and enjoy working in my studio.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Living with pain, as I do daily, is horrible—no joke!! Yet it is the very fuel that drives the lighthearted, the comical and the farcical subjects of my artwork. I have found relief by reframing my focus and employing humour and lightheartedness into my creations.
In 2018 I revisited ceramics, primarily as a means of therapy, where I would escape into a world of my choice. One that I could imagine, construct and control. I could spend hours lost in this alternative world, considering and injecting positive, uplifting, silly and off-centred elements and characteristics into my sculptures.
Admittedly, pop culture has shaped and continues to shape our beliefs, attitudes and values. This influence can be seen in modes of entertainment such as film, music, television, video games, sports, technology and so on. These sculptures poke fun at pretty much everything and anything we find in popular North American cultural. In doing so, I offer a nostalgic trip down memory lane, revisiting the tropes that were part of our childhood and adult life.
My most recent work delves into the image of the spinach can. Although “Popeye” is quite often shown to eat considerable amounts of canned spinach, and “Popeye” and spinach are closely related to pop culture, my ‘spinach’ paid no consideration to “Popeye”. This was an unconscious decision on my part. Perhaps my raison d’être was like so many other children of my time, we were told to eat our spinach and be strong like “Popeye”.
My work tends to construct and deconstruct the influence of popular North American culture in an off-kilter way. Yet, my work displays a subtle yet rich sense of direction, one that leads to a little chuckle or laugh. For me, I often move beyond the jocularity, to a place beyond the pain, to a place where I am able to fully appreciate the variety of life’s experiences, where I am thankful, and know that I am abundantly blessed. “Yes, I love this crazy life, but sometimes I wish it was a smoother ride”
I have chosen to utilize my understanding of the influence of “pop culture” on western society, while exploring avenues of the unexpected in unique, amusing and witty approach.
