Artist explores creation, nature and life’s beginnings

By Joyce Godwin
Herald Democrat

For most of his life, Carmelo Pampallona has had questions about life and how it began. He said he can remember asking those questions of his parents as a young child but was never satisfied with the answers.

The Pottsboro artist scaled down his commissioned work about three years ago and began a journey to sort out those questions for himself. His 17-piece art exhibit is a result of his ongoing quest. It includes sculptures of stone and wood depicting many stages of his interpretation of life’s beginnings.

Currently on display at Denison’s newest gallery, On Main Off Center, through July 2, is Pampallona’s farewell to downtown Denison. The talented sculptor has moved from his Main Street building in the 600 block to a studio he built next to his home at Lake Texoma, and he plans to continue exploring questions about the universe and its creator. His fiery passion shines through his sculptures in this exhibit titled “Energy Becomes Matter.”

The Sicilian-born craftsman has been carving wood and stone for most of his 53 years. After his 1972 graduation from Instituto Europeo in Milan, the artist spent time in Cape Town, South Africa, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, before arriving in North Texas in 1986. He was one of the pioneers of the Deep Ellum area. He said he enjoyed living there but he had an attraction to Lake Texoma. “I was so attracted by the water and Lake Texoma, I would drive up just to see the sunset and then drive back.”

Pampallona explained his attraction to the lake. He said, while in Cape Town, “there was not much to do except enjoy nature and the sunset was a must. The African sunset gets dimensions of color you don’t see anywhere else. So, when I discovered Lake Texoma, I fell in love with this place,” he explained. He said he bought a little cabin on the lake intended to be a fishing cabin and, before long, it became a home.

Pampallona’s work was done mostly by commission. He provided architects, interior designers and private collectors throughout the U.S. with carved doors, stairs, fireplaces and everything having to do with architecture. The artist has also created remarkable furniture with his carvings. It was on one of those jobs he met his wife Melinda Low Pampallona, who was raised in Sherman. He describes their life together as a wonderful, continuing love story.

Many will look at the sculptor’s exhibit and call it controversial, but Pampallona is OK with that. Some of the imagery is explicit due to the artist’s desire to display nature in its beauty. He is challenging his viewers to think with an open mind and he invites critics to share their opinions with him.

“When I turned 50, almost four years ago, I had this great desire to create art that was not commissioned,” Pampallona said. “I was going to commission myself for what I wanted. I am trying to connect nature as the mother of everything. God created this nature for us to enjoy and I want my work to represent that — to put nature on the first level.”

He added “When we begin to respect nature, we will respect ourselves and be more respectful of our air and our water and the animals.”

Regardless of where one’s beliefs are on the evolution-versus-creation theory, Pampallona’s art is beautiful work. One of his central pieces, “The Boy,” was carved from alabaster. Pampallona said he used power tools, then a chisel and mallet and, at the end, it was very meticulous. “It is very, very slick and I encourage people to touch it.” The detail work on the child’s hands and in his face are striking.

“The Seed” is a carving out of a walnut cross cut and is a must-see. It depicts the unborn child in the womb. Another walnut cross section from the same tree shows Mary, the mother of Jesus, holding the Christ child. It’s mounted on an old wood beam that Pampallona said represents Christ’s cross. “You have to die to be born and be born to start dying,” the artist-philosopher said. “Don’t be afraid. Enjoy every minute of life because you don’t know what will happen.”

Pampallona is currently struggling with chemotherapy treatments and will begin radiation soon. He is a victim of cancer and has undergone three surgeries. He said he’s been close to death. A silence fell in his conversation as emotions took his voice while explaining how his many friends came to donate blood for him. He said he has good days and bad days now and his experiences have been humbling for him.

His passions still shine through his conversations and will, no doubt, continue to show through his art as he journies through his explorations of the questions of the universe through sculpture.

The gallery is at 325 W. Main in Denison and open afternoons, Thursday through Sunday.

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