Metal Sculpture / "Urns and Vessels"

After exhausting my possibilities of more concrete work, I turned to the next medium that my studio was set up to handle. I had a welding table from building the skeletons of steel for my concrete and steel columns and Tripods. I had the welding equipment and grinders ready to put to work. The next move would be to create sculptures from sheet metal. These pieces gave me new possibilities in creating forms with finer features than concrete. Concrete does not lend itself to tight angles and thin dimensions that are possible to achieve in in steel. I chose the color Black for this series as it was closest to the natural; color of hot rolled steel. I had always used the natural color of the materials for my color palette. Steel being prone to rusting , I decided to go with semi gloss black enamel paint to match the original color of the steel as close as possible.

I began to expand on my Vocabulary of shapes as the material opened new possibilities. It was exciting to start building Volumes again unlike the the pieces from my past series which was all planer. One of the most interesting forms that I invented was a Circular form with waving edges. The concept grew from looking at my hands slightly open, but clasped together. Another way to describe it would be to take two curved round potato chips put together with their curves inward and touching in opposed directions. I had never seen such a form and believe it is elementary to Geometry and is as significant a shape as any square,sphere etc. This form is in the foreground of the picture above.

Because of the shapes and volumes of this series I decided to call it "Urns & Vessels", for the obvious reasons of their anthropomorphic and utilitarian shapes as abstract as they are. The Black also gave the somber but tough feeling of a Urn, and the the soaring motion lent itself to the likeness of a vessel. The show embodied abstract versions of the male and female figure along with more geometric subjects. Another shape created was my own version of a Obelisk, a for sided form with opposing wedges, 2 sides up and 2 sides facing down. These possibilities were a real change, and the possibilities of sleeker forms were now possible in steel. The show which was at Newspace Gallery in 1999 was a commercial success, however the reviews were not as favorable. How much credence can you give the opinion of the critic when the public puts out spontaneous support and enthusiasm? This question can open up a whole new topic of discussion.

Stainless Steel Metal Sculpture

Of all the materials that can be used to build Modern Contemporary Sculpture, Stainless Steel is one of the most enduring. It can take all temperatures and climates and end up looking the same for eternity. However as beautiful and enduring the material is it is one of the hardest to work with. It is such a hard material that without a Plasma cutter and special grinding wheels it is almost impossible to work with. David Smith used it in his "Cubi" series with much success in his approach, using a industrial shear to cut it and leaving his weld bare or not grinding them to a finished corner. This was a great way to get around working with such a hard material. Stainless steel is nothing more than regular steel with nickel added. The more nickel added the higher the grade of stainless you are dealing with.

I chose to use stainless steel in my "Split Plane" series. It had all the features I was looking for. For me the answer to all my sculptural questions is "Light". Stainless steel definitely embodied the reflective qualities of light, even when sandblasted as the "Split Plane Series was. If any one knows the where abouts of the stainless piece in the photograph above please contact Christopher Georgesco at georgesco1@yahoo.com as the piece went missing sometime in the early 80's.
This "Split Plane" series lasted for 3 years 1981-1984 and was another departure from using volumes as in my early wood and and concrete sculptures, however in many ways it was a extension of the "Mixed Metals" series. These Stainless Steel pieces are among my favorite planer works.
After this series I lost the lease on my Venice Studio. By that time Venice had become overpopulated and very expensive. I was at a New Years Eve Party at one of my first Art Collector's, and a beautiful woman with Red Henna Hair in a Gold La-may Dress walked in the room. I was struck by how much she looked like the copper and bronze sculptures I had worked on a few years earlier. Little did I know that this woman was the owner of a successful Natural Skin Care Corporation and 2 weeks later I found myself in Paris at the Ritz Hotel wearing Armani suits and bearing the card of Art Director. For the next 5 years I would travel extensively through France, Italy Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, Bali, Puerto Rico, Mexico, New Orleans, Atlanta, Chicago and of course New York. As much as I missed making Art this was a great opportunity to see all the Art I had studied in Art History, and a great way to familiarize myself with the world. Five years later I returned to making Sculpture again. As with all good things, times change and you must change with them. I dumped the house I owned on Beverly Glen in Bel Air, California and picked up a new studio in the Wilshire District of L.A. in a Old Art Deco High Rise named the "Desmond's Tower". The old tried and true took place again after securing the entire 8th floor, 3 years later , Ace Gallery Leased the entire 30,000 square foot 2nd floor and when my initial lease ended the the owner doubled my lease and I was now off to Downtown L.A. the next place to become a hot spot for Art. To View More Images Click> www.georgescoart.com

Christopher Georgesco Welcomes You to Modern Contemporary Sculpture

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