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MASTER METALSMITH: DAVID SECREST
SEP. 3 - DEC. 31, 2017
Gasparrini Galleries & Grounds
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The 2017 Master Metalsmith is David Secrest, a sculptor and blacksmith well known for his incorporation of textures and patterns in forged iron, fabricated steel and bronze sculptures and furniture. Born in Rochester, NY, Secrest gained his appreciation of craftsmanship from his experience as a son of a potter and painter, as opposed to through a formal arts education. Moving to rural Montana after high school, Secrest built his home and studio in an isolated environment to experiment and problem solve away from the influence of other mainstream artists. Drawn predominantly to iron as a material, Secrest uses forging and casting processes to create his sculptures and benches that are featured in the exhibition. While Secrest’s works may seem to reference a multitude of historic cultural aesthetics, he prefers those references to be abstract. Labels are purposefully not provided in the gallery, giving viewers the opportunity for an authentic personal experience with the artwork, informed by their own reactions and emotional responses and not burdened by outside information.
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​Exhibition Catalog
Master Metalsmith: David Secrest
Essay by Jeffery Funk
Photography by Houston Cofield
Design by Carol Blumthal
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Gallery Talk with David Secrest
Saturday, SEP. 23, 2017 5PM - 7PM
Gasparrini Galleries
In the Studio with David Secrest
MAY 27, 2017
By Houston Cofield
"The pattern plates were developed to provide a pallet to draw from for subsequent work. Rather than producing material with several layers that are folded upon each other many times like 'Damascus,' I wanted to see what I could do with just two layers, one of steel, one of wrought iron, rolled together. Doing so allows the basic structural differences in the materials to stand in greater graphic relief."
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- David Secrest
Assorted Pattern Plates 1-7
Wrought iron, fire welded steel Courtesy of the Artist
Parallelapippidon I #218
1994 Wrought iron Courtesy of Tom Joyce
Untitled #191
1991 Wrought iron, steel Courtesy of Nancy & Ed Rosenthal
Saddle #283
2000 Bronze, pate de fer Courtesy of John & Amy Nichols
Winging #285
2000 Bronze, pate de fer Courtesy of the Artist
Cyclonic #170
1990 Iron, steel, pate de fer Courtesy of the Artist
Untitled #159
1988 Wrought iron, steel Courtesy of Nancy & Ed Rosenthal
Sash II
2014 Steel, iron filings Courtesy of Gail Severn Gallery
Untitled
2017 Steel, fused chips Courtesy of the Artist
Feast
2006 Cast iron Courtesy of the Artist
Humus
2014 Wrought iron Courtesy of the Artist
Roots in Agriculture I, #132
1987 Wrought iron, stainless steel Courtesy of Manda & David Hudak
Beast and Burden #158
1989 Wrought iron, steel, bronze Courtesy of Katherine P. Naive
Untitled
2015 Woven steel fence Courtesy of the Artist
All photographs courtesy of Houston Cofield
Special Support for the Exhibition
Gail Severn Gallery
Mallory Alexander International Logistics
Carolyn & Gerald Grinstein
Ongoing Exhibition & Programming Support
Windgate Charitable Foundation
Hyde Family Foundations
Ongoing Operational Support
ArtsMemphis
Tennessee Arts Commission
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