About the artist

Gary has spent a total of twenty six years working at a local bronze foundry, which helped him evolve into the competent and creative Bronze Sculptor that he is today. It allowed him to master all aspects of the casting process including mold-making, pulling and working waxes, welding and assembly, rough and finish chasing, and his specialty, multi-color patinas. To this day, Gary still executes all of these steps himself on every bronze he produces, an uncommon practice among bronze artists of today. His work thus represents a caliber of excellence in artistry and craftsmanship rarely found in contemporary bronze sculpture.

Awards

• 1996 Canton Museum of Art "Pavilions of Wonder" exhibit.
• 1993 Chesley Award from the American Science Fiction Artists Association for best 3-D.
• 1992 First for Best 3-Dimensional work at the World Fantasy Art Show in Atlanta, GA.
• 1992 First Place and Best of Show in the Science Fiction Westercon in Phoenix, AZ.
• 1991 Best of Show Peer Choice at the Sedona National Sculpture Walk.

His work has been featured in several books, including Spectrum 1, The Frank Collection, and The Chesley Awards Retrospective.

Education

• 1981 Associates Degree Commercial Art, Alliance High School, Alliance, OH
• 1982 Kent State University, Kent, OH
• 1984 Associates Degree Visual Communications, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Artist Statement

"It used to be that an artist had to spend many years learning and perfecting his craft.  He had to conceptualize what he wanted to express, and find the most dynamic way of representing that idea using all of his available skill and knowledge in order to arrive at an inspiring piece of work that could transform the viewer. Nowadays, just about anything is regarded as art, regardless of whether the 'artist' has had any training, practice, or even any natural ability. Not only are the old standards no longer adhered to; it seems that even the most minimal effort is applauded as a phenomenal work.

As a sculptor, I like the idea of building a bridge between the past and the future. As an example, many of the technologies used in modern bronze production were still undiscovered in the classical era. Those masters had to rely on their own ingenuity to overcome the limitations of the craft as they existed at that time. And in spite of these limitations, what they were able to acheive was spectacular, even by modern standards. So as a modern sculptor with access to these new technologies, I feel obligated to challenge myself in transcending and pushing the limits of what is possible in the medium.

Still,  creating fantastic and mythic works has been and continues to be a lifelong love and commitment for me. When creating sculpture, the joy for me is in translating imagery from my mind's eye into three-dimensional reality. It's an intriguing challenge to project a dynamic two-dimensional graphic image outward visually into 3D reality. That challenge fuels my imagination and inspires me daily. I am also drawn to continue creating works on a heroic scale."