A pioneer in mixed media installation, Judy Pfaff explores the relationships between physical, emotional, and intellectual worlds. Between material and space, Pfaff creates work that is evocative of the invisible workings of the body, the energy of the cosmos, and the change happening in our everyday. Synthetic and natural systems intertwine forming complex and conflicting perspectives.

Pfaff is the recipient of numerous awards including the Academy Member Fellowship, American Academy of Arts & Sciences (2013); Anonymous Was A Woman Award (2013); MacArthur Fellowship (2004); Guggenheim Fellowship (1983); National Endowment for the Arts grants (1979, 1986). Pfaff’s work is in numerous collections including the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The UA Synapse series explores enlightened collaborations between art and science. This initiative at The University of Akron probes the ideas, images, and mutual interests connecting art and science professionals and disciplines. The series is made possible with the generous support of the Knight Foundation.

Image: Judy Pfaff, Manzanas y Naranjas (Apples and Oranges), 1987. Woodcut on paper. 57 in. x 69 1/4 in. Collection of the Akron Art Museum. Gift of Kathleen Monaghan and Richard Shebairo in tribute to the staff of the Akron Art Museum.