Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Jerry Peart

Jerry Peart is a wonderful sculptor who was born in the desert country of Winslow, Arizona. Peart sold his first sculptures while in undergraduate school and received the "Outstanding Art Student" award from the faculty of Arizona State University, where he also earned his BFA in 1970. Following this, Peart accepted a teaching fellowship at Southern Illinois University, where he later earned his MFA in 1972. Jerry has a significant fascination with aluminum and its representation and as a result a large portion of his work in done in this medium. In 1974, Jerry bought his first art studio in Chicago's Northside. He has been an influential sculptor ever since.

Peart described his artwork and career very well when he said, "I have been very fortunate to be able to make sculpture my whole adult life,
supporting myself as artist. The sculptures that I make have an intrinsic value for me and
I hope for others. The creative process for me is one of revelation and expression as
opposed to being driven to create.
Art is not about information or description or literal content, art is concerned with the how
and concepts, feelings, ideas, little markers in time, that certain moment that comes while
working in the studio. These ideas are like snowflakes, beautiful, fragile, and fading. These are
moments in time, frozen, halted and sometimes only relevant at that exact time. And of
course there is no specific sequence to this activity but rather through the manipulation of
materials and physical work, there is a creation of some feeling, a release of a concept, an
attempt to achieve something spiritual though plain hard work.
This brings me to the real truth about what about what an artist does; he must not only
come up with the answer, but he must also pose the question. This is not spinning theories and
producing an image, but developing new ways that make you stop thinking and just fall in
love.
I am now settled in Virginia, not leaving Chicago behind or the wonderful people
who have supported me, but moving on to a new environment to continue this exciting
creative process."





Angel, 1999

Painted Aluminum


Sorcerer, 1996

Painted Aluminum


Perseids, 2003

Painted Aluminum







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