geoffrey gorman

Commission

2012-01-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

Maximus with his Mahout (handler)
M/m
15" x 19" x 7"

A client asked me to make an elephant tea pot for his collection. This one is based on an elephant that I spent the day with while I was in Laos.

Some of the material used to construct the elephant and figure include a brass plumbing pipe for the spout, an old leather work apron for the ears, a piece of bamboo that I got in Laos that the figure is sitting on, bike tire foot pads, tusks carved from old juniper wood, and my usual assortment of odds and ends.

Doves

2012-01-17T08:41:00.001-08:00

There are dozens of doves that come down to feed on the ground and at the bird feeder. This piece shows three of them coming in for a landing.

Leaping Antelope

2012-01-07T09:58:00.001-08:00

This antelope is leaping over a fence. I often see pronghorn antelopes on my way to Colorado.

Birds with Wings

2011-12-13T15:53:00.001-08:00

"HAVA HOVERS"
Wood, cloth, metal, found objects
20" x 23" x 12"

"TIPE COMES IN FOR A LANDING"
Wood, cloth, metal, found objects
31" x 33" x 16"

The raven and owl landing are a part of a new series. The wings on both birds are made up from thin strips of wood wired together. Once the wood is stained it takes on the quality of feathers in motion.

I am going to continue making a group of birds that are landing.

American Style Magazine Article

2011-12-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

Working in My Studio

2011-11-16T16:17:00.000-08:00

I've just returned from SOFA Chicago where my gallery, Jane Sauer, sold five of my pieces. I gave a lecture during the art fair and so inspired one person,after the talk, she came by the booth and purchased one of my pieces.

The photograph above shows one of my rabbits getting ready to be stained. The base also needs to have tin nailed to it.

Birds and Rabbits

2011-10-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

I am working with a new gallery in Palm Desert, CA. Several of these pieces are headed to them.

Talk at SOFA Chicago

2011-10-07T11:46:00.001-07:00

"I am Still An Animal": A Conversation with Geoffrey Gorman

SOFA CHICAGO VIP Lounge

1:30 pm 05-Nov-2011

Geoffrey Gorman creates a strange menagerie of fanciful, found-object animals. Listen as he discusses the process of discovering and working with found materials including sticks, rusted screws, washers, bicycle tires, old tools, bailing wire and discarded canvas, his inspirations and influences, and the mythology behind the ‘lives’ of his curious creatures. An intense physical process goes into the making of each one as they are constructed of many layers of different found materials. Gorman’s works are in the permanent collections of numerous museums as well as in national and international private collections.

New Work For SOFA Chicago

2011-09-27T15:22:00.001-07:00

American Craft Article

2011-09-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

Barn Owl

2011-07-14T08:58:00.001-07:00

Sunia Settles in for the Night
M/m
17" x 11" x 14"

I am getting ready for SOFA Santa Fe, the art fair that opens on August 3rd at the Santa Fe Convention Center. This large owl is sitting on a fungus which I collected in Sitka, Alaska. Up there they call it Bear's Breath. It makes a great perch for this fellow.

Just about all of this piece is made from parts of tires, inner tubes and strips of old mountain bike tires. His tail feathers are cut from an old croquette set.

All The Work for Chengju

2011-07-13T10:05:00.001-07:00

These are all the pieces that I am sending to Korea for the craft biennial. It was a major push but I love a deadline. It is stressful but when it is done there is a great sense of accomplishment.

Now I am finishing up work for SOFA Santa Fe, which opens on August 3rd.

Cheongju International Craft Biennale 2011, South Korea

2011-07-05T08:07:00.001-07:00

I am just finishing work for the Cheongju International Craft Biennale 2011 in South Korea. The curators asked me to make an antelope for the exhibition along with six other pieces.

If you are in Chengju, stop by and see the show which opens in September. Pretty Exciting!

Short Video, Second Nature

2011-07-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

Second Nature
Jane Sauer Gallery
June 17-July 12, 2011

The two final large pieces for my show

2011-06-08T17:46:00.001-07:00

Santa Fean June/July

2011-06-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Santa Fean June/July Issue

Geoffrey Gorman: Second Nature
Jane Sauer Gallery
June 17-July 12

Gorman's menagerie of otherworldly animalistic creations has the whiff of Dr. Frankenstein and Tim Burton about it (though never as outright creepy as either). These are critters who've been stitched back together with whatever's handy - sticks, paper, rubber, discarded bits of metal and twine - by someone who can't quite recall exactly what a bird, a dog, a rabbit looked like, before whatever apocalypse arrived and blew everything apart.

It's hard to say, from an artistic perspective, if all the extra bits - the amulets, the trinkets, the buttons - are too much and therefore unnecessary or not enough and somehow tentative. Or if the entire Art Brutish quality is a put-on or genuine, and what either might mean, if anything. It's as if Gorman still isn't as sure (or surehanded) about whether he's going for maximalism or minimalism with these creaturely assemblages. Which may be his point.
Devon Jackson

June Show

2011-05-26T11:44:00.001-07:00

Second Nature: Geoffrey Gorman

JANE SAUER Gallery
Reception Friday June 17th from 5:00-7:00 pm
Geoffrey Gorman is breathing life into what might be considered to be the detritus of our culture. He constructs artworks using sticks, rusted screws, washers, bicycle tires, old tools, bailing wire, discarded canvas, and other things that are housed in cluttered garages or the backs of closets suffering from neglect. An intense physical process goes into making each work as Gorman builds from a series of elements layer upon layer. He explores the shared identity between animals and humans. Gorman’s artistic journey explores common moments and concerns. His magical animals will be “strutting their stuff” at Jane Sauer Gallery. As Gorman develops his animals, he also creates narratives from scientific writings, observation, and his very active imagination. During construction his mind seems to integrate these three prongs into a seamless whole. Gorman is fascinated by the humanness of animal behavior and the animalistic tendencies in human behavior. He states, “These creatures live in their own world, a more 'natural' world than the one we inhabit. The exciting challenge is for us to figure out how we can relate to them and what we can learn from their survival instincts which do not destroy the environments in which they live”.
Exhibit June 17th through July 12th

Alpinus in Action

2011-05-18T15:29:00.001-07:00

Alpinus in Action
M/m
40” x 96” x 18”

When we see animals running, often it is a blur of body and limbs. The pioneering work of photographer Eadweard J. Muybridge was able to break down each movement of an animal in motion, letting us see the articulation of their bodies.

This piece captures the movement of one dog in two positions: on the left he has his ears back, his feet underneath him, just hitting his stride. Starting to run, the dog on the right is stretching out his feet as he prepares to take off.

Oliaris Caught in the Light

2011-04-29T11:43:00.001-07:00

I have been working with Audrey Derell, an amazing graphic designer, to create a portrait of one of my creatures. Audrey orchestrated this image called "Oliaris Caught in the Light."

(What you are seeing is a photograph of a rabbit that has tripped a trigger on a night-vision infrared broad spectrum camera. Used mainly for security, I was able to 'borrow' one of these gadgets and set it up in a secret location...hoping to capture the elusive Oliaris rabbit. In the photo, it appears that he is sitting in a wooded area.)

This image is being released as a limited edition digital print in conjunction with a fundraiser for arts in public schools in Santa Fe.

New York Post

2011-04-27T16:04:00.001-07:00

The New York Post interviewed me and then used one of my images in their article about SOFA New York.

Alleni Taking Aim

2011-04-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Alleni Taking Aim
M/m/croquet ball
25" x 18" x 9"

Historically, it seems like rabbits have been portraid as meek, passive creatures, something afraid of human contact...but not in New Mexico. The large jack rabbits that I see around Santa Fe are nothing but fast, sleek, intelligent and sometimes scary. I often stumble on them while hiking, some are brown and white, some black and white.

I have started thinking of them as tricksters, especially when it comes to interacting with humans. Once my back is turned, I figure they can do just about anything to us!

Alleni, the about rabbit, has a large, heavy wooden croquet ball. He does not seem timid as he looks around for a target.

Surviving SOFA

2011-04-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from participating in SOFA New York where I was represented by Jane Sauer and her amazing staff. During the fair, five of my pieces found new homes, one being purchased by a young couple from Cuzco, Peru. Here are the pieces that were sold:

Having Wings

2011-02-02T17:13:00.000-08:00

On the back wall of the Jane Sauer Gallery, five ravens are watching each other.

A cat stands in the corner, watching the ravens as they converse with each other.

A large fruit bat, wings extended, dominates the center of the room.

The back of the bat has accumulated some ends and odds. Behind him a large hanging bird swoops down from the fire place. To the left a Great Blue Heron looks toward the door.

Two black Ibis sit on a base made from old mountain bike tires. Hanging from the wall, a nest of old twigs has been made by a swarm of song birds, who fly below the nest.

Two chickens strut around each other, showing off their beautiful feathers.

Interpretations

2011-01-25T08:59:00.000-08:00

macklotii
M/m
24" x 24" x 5"

Recently, I came across an article about all the naturalists that had lost their lives in pursuit of documenting new species of flora and fauna from around the world. There was an illustration of a fruit bat that had been collected by one of these unfortunate scientists. It had been collected and sent back to a natural history museum in the Netherlands in the mid 1800's.

What struck me as interesting was how the preserved bat looked more like a bear, even a friendly teddy bear. Obviously, whoever 'stuffed' this bat had never seen a real one. Their interpretation of what they thought this creature should look like is so different than what it looks like in real life.

The bat 'wings' were cut out of an old work apron that I had saved. I seem to save just about everything I use in my studio, and this creature begged to have himself cloaked in a piece of fabric that had some history to it.

January Work

2011-01-10T16:01:00.000-08:00

Dryomis & Perigyps
wood/metal/inner tubes/found material
39" x 30" x 30"

These two birds that are wrapped in bike inner tubes were originally made about four years ago. They have been sitting in my studio, collecting dust. I decided to transform them, one more time. Wrapping the wooden structure seems like a natural progression, at least to me.

The base is made from mountain bike tires and inner tubes with a little metal added. (This particular style I refer to as "nuvo-Mennonite." I think of Mennonites as Shakers that got wild, and maybe smoked a little pot.)

The Final Five for SOFA Chicago 2010

2010-10-18T14:20:00.001-07:00

Faternus & Packardi
Wood/metal/inner tubes/found objects
28" x 18" x 21"

I have started walking on a trail by the local college that my daughter is attending. It goes through high prairie, with a mixture of desert grasses, arroyos and pinon and juniper trees.

The other day I went for a walk out there, hoping that I would stumble on my next inspiration for a sculpture. Unexpectedly, out of the high grass, a huge raven flew up. He circled around me, then perched on an old dead pinon tree, watching me as I walked by. I can tell you he was BIG and DARK, a blue-black shimmery presence...a bird not easily forgotten.

During that walk, I saw about a dozen ravens and crows. I also realized that I wanted to make some of these intense birds myself. The natural material to cover them in seemed to be inner tubes. By the time I got back to my studio,I had planned this piece in my head.

The two birds are wrapped in tubing, giving them an intense mummy-like 'look' but also a feeling that their bursting energy is contained inside the forms...but not for long.

Paromius
Wood/metal/cloth/found objects
32" x 29" x 11"

Pelicans are amazing birds, flying like WWII bombers, skimming the water in perfect formation. Throwing their heads back to swallow their catch, their flappy gullets act like garbage disposals, consuming everything. I've never heard the sound that pelicans make, but I better it is expressive.

Earlier this summer I made a pelican head, in honor of all the birds caught in the oil spill in the gulf. This is the first full body pelican that I have built. His legs are old croquet mallet handles and his chest is covered in a child's white bicycle tire. His 'feathers' are a combination of dead branches, old metal pipes, pieces of tire rims and a rusted bicycle chain. His gullet is made from an old screen door. I painted his feet blue.

There is quite an assortment of old tools, bits of wood and metal, and found objects hanging off of him. His wooden neck had rusted nails and screws attached to it.

Degeeri
Wood/metal/lead/stone/found objects
26" x 19" x 9"

Otters are so expressive and energetic. This fellow had kept the rock that he uses to break clam shells with him as he peers around. I found that rock on a beach outside of Sitka, Alaska, where I saw both sea and river otters.

His body is wrapped in a layer of lead sheeting, giving him a nautical look. An old mountain bike tire is attached to his chest and his back. Odds and ends are hanging off his body.

His tail is made up of old sticks and pieces of rusted metal and banded with a couple of pipe clamps and his hands and feel are made from wrapped wire.

Melanotus
Wood/metal/cloth/found objects
33" x 12"x 12"

I continue to make a variety of rabbits--sitting, standing, and, of course, running.
This fellow carries a small (sharp) saw blade. Mischief seems to be on his mind!

Banksi
Wood/cloth/metal/found objects
20" x 6" x 36"

Rabbits are incredibly graceful when they are running.(I bet that's not what they are worried about when they run.) This rabbit is in mid-stride, jumping over a small chamisa bush.

He is built from a combination of mountain bike tires, old tin cans, rivets, and a lot of found objects.

Commission

2010-10-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

Thyanta's Treasure
Wood/cloth/metal/found objects
29" x 23" x 8"

This monkey was created for a wonderful collector from Texas. She commissioned me to make the monkey for her son.

I think of this creature coming in the box that he stands on, kind of like a kit that you could buy to build animals. His hair and tail are made from steel wool. He is holding a glass door knob, which gives the piece an almost Victorian feel.

Another Piece for SOFA Chicago

2010-09-27T11:28:00.001-07:00

Saffrana and Mezira
M/m
38" x 32" x 18"

This is the second piece that I have created where two dogs are traveling together. I am fascinated by the interaction between them, both the emotional charge and physical presence.

One dog is quite a bit larger than the other one. I see them as partners signaling each other. Each has a subtlety raised paw, which we humans do not know the meaning of, but they do.

Four New Pieces for SOFA Chicago

2010-09-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

The Courtship of Purcist & Osmia
Wood/metal/cloth/found objects
22" x 30" x 22"

When I was a kid, my father kept chickens in an old shed on the property. One of my jobs was to feed them and also get the eggs. Often when I was in the shed, the roosters would chase me into a corner and peck my bare feet. It hurt like hell! I'd finally get up enough courage to make a run for the door, often forgetting to both feed the chickens and get the eggs.

These two chickens, a rooster and hen, are in the middle of a courtship dance (at least in my mind.) He is standing proud, showing off his glorious tail feathers, while the hen struts in front of him, dazzling him with her colorful wings. Both try to impress the other.

Both birds are built from an assortment of branches, metal, bike tires and found objects.

Lateralis
Wood/metal/cloth/found objects
47" x 10" x 10"

Years ago one of the first birds that I made was a Great Blue Heron. I am revisiting this species with this latest creation. I find these striking birds to be both prehistoric and futuristic at the same time.

Lateralis has a body wrapped in a children's white bicycle tire, a neck plumage made from a black mountain bike tire and wing and tail feathers comprised of branches, metal rods, and left over tire elements. Hanging off of him are old hand tools like screw drivers and punches. The yellow feathers seen on his chest are made from old electrical wire.

Oliarus
Wood/metal/cloth/found objects
34" x 10" x 10"

The one creature that I keep coming back to over and over again is the rabbit. I still love finding new ideas, expressions and actions for them.(In New Mexico they get BIG and feel a bit menacing.)

This standing rabbit is a bit of a trickster. He is looking over his shoulder as he holds an old saw blade in his hands. Is he going to saw something down, throw the blade at somebody, or use it as a musical instrument(as is seen in southern jug bands.)?

He is made from old sticks, cloth, rusted and painted metal and found objects.

Pallida
Wood/metal/cloth/found objects
31" x 28" x 14"

I also love making dogs, and think about them as a universal breed. My dogs have combinations of just about everything from Chiwawas to Arctic Wolves. (My father loved animals, especially dogs. I was always around them and I can remember just about every one, from the noisy basset hound to the feisty Jack Russel and the assortment of playful yellow and black labs.)

I think of Pallida as a scout, ahead of the pack, checking out the territory. He is alert, but at the same time perky and playful. You can tell from the way his feet are positioned.

He is crafted from old sticks, cloth, rusted and painted metal and found objects.

Two Dogs

2010-06-29T13:15:00.001-07:00

The Trek of Galguphia and Saldula
Wood/cloth/metal/wire/found objects
38" x 24" x 24"

This sculpture is based on my trek in the Himalayas in 2005. I went there to celebrate turning 50 with my friend Mark. I think of these dogs as Mark and myself on the trail. The final trek to reach the pass at over 16,000 feet was incredibly intense but an amazing life-changing experience. These guys are celebrating that experience.

The base is fabricated from old, rusted Coleman stove gas containers, which seems appropriate. The dogs are made from mountain bike tires, sticks, screws, bolts, and found objects.

Swimming Otter

2010-06-11T10:36:00.001-07:00

Oecleus
Lead/wood/metal/found objects
40" x 11" x 11"

China Painting

2010-06-09T13:28:00.001-07:00

A Portrait of The Artist As A Rabbit
18" x 15" x 3"
Painting/wood/lead/tire/found objects

After reading an article in The New Yorker about fine art painting factories in China, I got this idea that I wanted my own painting created.

First off, I had an image of one of my rabbits set into a surrealistic background created digitally. Then I sent the digital file to a painting company in China. One month later the painting arrived on my door step. It looked almost exactly like the file that I had sent to them.

In framing the piece I had an idea of something more medieval or ornate. I gave a rough idea of the frame to a framer and he built the form, then I added onto it and covered the wood with a variety of materials that I am currently using such as lead, mountain bike tires and found objects.

This photograph is the result of my efforts to create a portrait of one of my animals in another media.

Running Fox

2010-05-19T16:00:00.001-07:00

Vulpes
Wood/cloth/wire/found objects
16" x 38" x 8"

I'm starting to assemble a group of animals for the SOFA West show in Santa Fe in July. The center piece is going to be Vulpes, seen above, chasing a rabbit. I am excited about building running animals. There is so much energy in each piece.

Article in May issue of SouthWest Art

2010-05-04T12:07:00.001-07:00

My show in February attracted the attention from one of the editors of SouthWest Art and this article was the result.

2010-04-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

I have continued to use old mountain bike tires for many of the elements in my animals. This canine sits on a base fabricated from a wonderful mountain bike tire that, upon close inspection, looks like a black alligators hide. He also has some white children s bike tires attached to his body.

Growing up on an old horse farm allowed me to be surrounded by a variety of animals. My father loved having them around. Some of the critters that I lived with included a variety of dogs and cats, a squirrel monkey, a red fox, a goat, snakes,lizards, rabbits, mice, squirrels and assorted wild animals that came and went.

One of my childhood friends was what might be called an animal whisperer. He could catch just about anything we came across and he seemed to have no fear when it came to grabbing some writhing creature.

2010-04-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

Just finished another dog. I'm still recovering after my show in February at Jane Sauer's Gallery in Santa Fe. The show went very well, much better than I ever expected. Most of the work sold, I got two commissions, an article in SouthWest Art and several other publications.

Working so closely with Jane, and her amazing support of my work, (along with her terrific staff,) has made me realize that I need to stay focused on creating strong work. When we sat down to talk about the show and the future, we both realized that for at least the next year, my concentration needs to be on all her upcoming art fairs.

I have planned some new ideas for each fair, both in Santa Fe in July, and Chicago in November. After that show then I have to get ready for the solo show in February, 2011.

It all comes down to focus...

The Final Four

2010-02-03T13:44:00.001-08:00

Alticoloa
wood/wire/cloth/metal/found objects
14" x 32" x 6"

Recently my friend Sally called me with an unusual story. She said that while she was outside her house she say an owl flying over her barn. She noticed that it dropped something on the roof. The creature quickly fled behind it. After a couple of viewings, Sally identified the creature as a ring tailed cat. Not something that is often seen in Santa Fe.

She thought I might be interested in hearing about her new border...and as a result, I researched the cat and created my own interpretation of it. Seen here, it is stalking something in the bushes, most likely a mouse.

Tippelskirchi
wood/wire/cloth/metal/found objects
22.5" x 21" x 6"

While completing my menagerie of creatures of curiosity, I knew that I wanted to build something that was tall and awkward. Nothing came to mind.

Recently I was thumbing through a magazine.In it I saw a picture of a giraffe. It reminded me that many years ago, while traveling across Africa, I has seen running giraffes in a game park. What struck me at the time was how graceful these strange animals where. It was as if someone were running on stilts. I decided that this was the animal that I wanted to add to my collection of creatures.

The first thing I made was the body. Then I built the four legs and neck out of an assortment of painted sticks. Once these were attached to the body, I screwed some more sticks and painted metal to the back and neck. Next I roughed out the shape of the head from a bundle of sticks. then I attached it to the neck, adding the eyes, ears and horns. For the hoofs, I cut apart a mountain bike tire. These pieces were wired to each foot. Finally several metal scraps were hung off the piece.

Mystax
wood/wire/cloth/metal/found objects
23" x 14" x 8"

This little guy was the last piece completed for the show. He is looking around,checking every thing out. He's kind of tired, having just spent the last hour being chased by a wild coyote.

Sauveli
wood/wire/cloth/metal/found objects
25" x 21" x 10"

This porcupine has blue tinted quills. The base I used was part of a fire tool kit. It seemed like the perfect pedestal for this guy.

These are the final four sculptures for my show.

3 Rabbits

2010-02-01T11:48:00.001-08:00

Have you ever watched a rabbit run? It goes through quite a few configurations. This piece captures three different running gestures of one rabbit.

This piece was inspired by seeing "The "Bathers," a series of four sculptures that Matisse made over a period of at least a dozen years. (When I was a kid, my father bought all of the Time/Life series of books on famous artists. I can remember seeing these sculptures that Matisse made of the back of one of his models.) As he progressed with each piece, it became simpler, and by the fourth one, it was almost totally an abstract interpretation of a woman's back.

The other important inspiration in making the three poses of a running rabbit was from looking at the work of the photographer, Eadweard J. Muybridge. I have continued to be fascinated by his photographs capturing the movement of animals and humans.

Another Dog

2010-02-01T11:46:00.001-08:00

Here is my interpretation of a running dog. It feels like he is flying more than running. Along the way he has accumulated an odd assortment of flotsam and jetsam.

February Show

2010-02-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

My friend Rupama gave me an old croquette set, thinking that I could use parts of it for an installation. This dog is what came from using what she gave me. He sits on the croquette case with a ball nestled under him.(you can still faintly see the writing on the crate.)

Press Release

2010-01-23T09:54:00.001-08:00

Feb. 12 – March 16, 2010

Friday, Feb. 12 Opening Reception: 5-7pm, Artist will be present

Saturday, Feb. 13, Gallery talk by Geoffrey Gorman, “Creatures of Curiosity”, Art, Life, and Challenges”

Title: Creatures of Curiosity

Geoffrey Gorman’s work typically folds together history, real life experiences, and his own colorful imagination. As an artist, he is continually exploring new places within the folds, finding unique sources and materials that will enhance his desired expression. He is always ready for an adventure, and needs no encouragement to travel to unknown places, whether in his mind or in reality. This is evident in animals discovered in the exhibition “Creatures of Curiosity”.

Historically, “Cabinets of Curiosity”, assembled in 16th Century Europe, became the earliest museums, where diverse collections of oddities from around the world could be seen in one place. These “rooms of wonder” contained unicorn horns, mermaid skeletons, stuffed and preserved plants and animals, insects floating in amber fluid, lenses, and obscure scientific instruments. These sumptuous accumulations of unknown and unfamiliar objects were assembled in beautifully constructed cabinets, contained within entire rooms displaying artifacts from floor to ceiling.
“I think of my constructed creations as present day artifacts that might have been collected and assembled in a Cabinet of Curiosity” states Gorman.

The title, “Creatures of Curiosity” is the artist’s adaptation of the original to fit his interest in giving physical presence to creatures that lurk in his imagination. Gorman further states, “Where these creatures came from and what meanings they hold are still unknown. Indicators and clues as to their origins can be found on each creature – but often the markings, materials and methods of construction can be confusing. Studied closely, each creature seems to have similar construction –patterns, tattoos and indications of tribal identification”. Is this a subtle statement about the inner connections of all animals, and maybe all of mankind? Gorman is an avid observer of both the animal kingdom, ancient and contemporary, and of the human species. His work raises questions about links that cannot yet be answered.

With Gorman, one never knows which comes first, the animal or the material. Gorman wanders the arroyos and hills around Santa Fe, accumulating old rusted and weathered materials. Some parts are gifts from interested friends. Gorman recently discovered another great gathering ground, Habitat for Humanity, where used building materials are for sale. Almost every day something different can be found in the bins. An aisle containing old discarded wire initiated thoughts about animals that have distinctive hair. “Dicactylus”, an ant eater, was born with a glorious and expressive tail made of the new wire. He also has armor like covering created from a discarded bicycle tire turned inside out. He is captured mid-stride, his worn underside streaming a strange accumulation of hanging objects. According to his maker, “during his journeys this creature has attracted various talismans to his belly like metal to magnets”.

“Thryonomydae” based on a horned lizard, is assembled from both white and black bicycle tires, along with a variety of nails, screws and rusted bolts. Around his neck hangs an old paint brush and underneath his body other objects dangle down. The pedestal is constructed of cabinet handles, a wheel, and found hardware. He seems to be smiling at his audience and generates sweetness, not usually associated with a lizard. A kindred spirit is “Indri”, an oddly categorized animal that is fish-like. The pangolin is large and acts a little like a tree sloth. This strange looking animal is hunted in parts of Africa and Asia for meat and scales, both of which are thought to have medicinal properties. Gorman’s version is profusely covered with scales of black rubber with rusted metal claw like little toes. Indri has collected a few charms along his way also and has a small wheel on his back which propels him along life’s path. He is both menacing and could become an endeared child’s toy.

To followers of Gorman’s work, he is known to cross the line between warm and affectionate animals to those which are frightening. Deciphering the two extremes is not always an easy task. Ambiguity can be a powerful ingredient in Gorman’s work. He is able to agilely straddle both sides of this dichotomy.

Whether it be a rabbit poised to spring, two birds huddled together, peering felines, quizzical canines, pondering armadillos, a miniature running antelope, or crawling lizards, they will all beckon you to follow them into the shadows of Gorman’s realm of the curiously outlandish and bizarre.

On Saturday, Feb. 13, Geoffrey Gorman will give a gallery talk about his work, this exhibit, and his ideas about art, life, and today’s challenges. There will be ample time for questions and answers. The lively discussion by this effervescent artist will surely warm a cold winter Saturday afternoon.

Xix (or the struggle)

2009-12-18T10:52:00.001-08:00

Xix
Cloth/metal/wood/foam/found objects
33" x 25" x 8"

This small antelope, Xix, was just finished in preparation for my show in February at the Jane Sauer Gallery, in Santa Fe. This is the third solo show that I will be having with Jane. Earlier shows have been great successes, which puts pressure on me to make even better work for this upcoming show,

Right now I'm in my studio, looking out my window at a just completed running canine. It started off (like every other piece) with high expectations and happy memories of easily building another piece. The reality turned out to be quite different. Right from the beginning its been a difficult process. I've had to redo, re-carve, redesign and remake every part of it, from the head to the feet, and lastly, when I thought I was done, I had to totally remake the base! Its like I've made the piece over and over again.

This is a first...I've never had such trouble completing a piece. But its done and sitting in my back yard waiting for the final process, the applying of the patina. At this moment,with everything that's happened, I think best thing for both of us to spend a little time apart.

Public Installation

2009-12-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

My gallery dealer, Jane Sauer, got the state of New Mexico to purchase one of my sculptures for its Art in Public Places program. A large flying bird was purchased for a new animal shelter in Grants, New Mexico.

About a week ago I drove to Grants, which is two hours away from Santa Fe. The two employees that worked there were fascinated by the piece. After spending some time with them and explaining my idea's and background, they totally got it. They started telling me stories about the bird, where it had come from and how it was able to survive. What fun to have such a positive response to the work.

SOFA Chicago

2009-12-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

I completed my installation of Creatures of Curiosity at the SOFA Chicago Art Fair in November. I had a twelve foot wall to work with-plenty of room to mount the lettering, the artist statement and the nine pieces.

With all the planning and thought that went into the presentation and all that room, the work attracted a lot of attention during the four day fair. Many people remembered my work from the year before. But I was most amazed that they were able to see the progression in it. (These new pieces are more complex, elaborate and some of the creatures have become more fanciful.)

Five pieces sold and I got one commission, which I am working on right now. My solo show at the Jane Sauer Gallery will start in mid February. I want to have at least fifteen creatures for that show. I'd better get busy!

Dicactylus

2009-10-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

Besides wandering the arroyos and hills around Santa Fe, accumulating old rusted and weathered material, I recently found another great place to both find inspiration and gather objects for my sculptures. It is called Habitat For Humanity and they sell used building products. Just about every day there is something different to be found in the bins. I'm spending more and more time there-it's turned into my portable studio or laboratory.

Last week I was looking in the row that sold old electrical lights and discarded wire. It got me thinking about creatures that have distinctive hair...and then I saw this bunch of old white electrical wire. I've never used wire before but it looked so expressive and evocative that I couldn't resist getting it. (I must have been a junk dealer in a past life.)

This creature is part of the group called Creatures of Curiosity. His magnificent tail incorporates my latest find...and next week, well, I've been eying this old steamer trunk.

Dicactylus
wood/wire/cloth/foam/found material
18.5" x 26" x 9"

Creatures of Curiosity - Statement

2009-10-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

Unicorn horns, mermaid skeletons, stuffed and preserved animals and plants, insects in amber, lenses, and obscure scientific instruments - these were just some of the contents of what were called Cabinets of Curiosity. First assembled in 16th century Europe, these "rooms of wonder" became the earliest museums, where diverse collections of oddities from around the world could be seen in one place. Sumptuous accumulations of unknown and unfamiliar objects were assembled in beautifully constructed cabinets, contained in entire rooms displaying artifacts from floor to ceiling.

I think of my constructed creations as present day artifacts that might have been collected and assembled in a Cabinet of Curiosity. Where they came from and what meanings they hold are still unknown. Indicators and clues as to their origins can be found on each creature - but often the markings, materials and methods of construction can be confusing, asking more questions than giving answers. Studied closely, each creature seems to have similar construction patterns, tattoos and indications of tribal identification.

A rabbit poised to spring, wired together with an assortment of old sticks, rags, rusted metal and found objects, is then mounted on a weathered wooden armature. Another almost mythological beast - part rubber robed rhinoceros and part metal cloaked ant eater - is captured mid-stride, his worn underside streaming a strange accumulation of hanging objects. During his journeys this creature has attracted the various talismans to his belly like metal to magnets. Creatures of my imagination...peering felines, quizzical canines, pondering armadillos, miniature running antelope, crawling lizards and crooked wooden birds, beckon you to follow them into the shadows of my own realm of the curiously outlandish and bizarre.

Endangered Species

2009-10-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

Indri (pangolin)
wood/metal/cloth/foam/found objects
14" x 16" x 6"

I've seen pictures of the pangolin in books for years. They are curious creatures, a fish-like animal. They are large and act a little like tree sloths. With all their scales I was attracted to them once I started working with old bike tires.

They are found in parts of Africa and Asia and recently have become endangered. They are hunted both for their meat and their scales, which are thought to have medicinal properties.

Desert Dwellers

2009-10-13T09:09:00.001-07:00

Thryonomydae

wood/cloth/metal/foam/found objects
21" x 20" x 9"

This creature, based on a horned lizard, is assembled from both black and white bicycle tires, along with a variety of nails, screws and rusted bolts. Around his neck hangs an old paint brush and underneath his body other objects dangle down. The pedestal is constructed from cabinet handles, a wheel, and found hardware.

Creatures of Curiosity

2009-10-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

Gymnura
wood/wire/cloth/foam/found objects
18" x 12" x 6 1/2"

Another creature to be a part of the group installed during SOFA in Chicago in November. This porcupine-like critter's spikes were made from wire that is used to make fences in New Mexico. There are dozens of them sticking out of her body. It was a study in patience to install each one, row after row.

My friend Michelle gave me the base, which originally was used to hold tools for a fire. She works at Habitat for Humanity and is becoming one of my best sources for odds and ends.

Sagita & Savii

2009-10-07T11:50:00.000-07:00

Sagita & Savii
wood/cloth/metal/foam/found objects
23" x 20" x 26"

This pair of foxes is part of the work going to Chicago for my installation called Creatures of Curiosity. I think of this series as artifacts and objects that have been assembled together in one place.

These pieces have been built using an assortment of branches, screws and odds/ends. In person the work has the feeling of contained energy.

The base is crafted from mountain bike tires and metal. I call this style of furniture NUVO Mennonite.

2009-09-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

Colocolo & Caracal
Wood/foam/metal/cloth/found objects
20" x 16" x 21"

When I first started making objects, just about five years ago, I would create detailed sketches and drawings of each piece-then I would follow them closely until completion of the piece. That went on for a while.

However, over the last couple of years, I’ve gotten away from making preliminary sketches. I have come to really enjoy the unintentional and unlikely results that I end up with from creating creatures without a specific outcome in mind. I have an idea to start with, but it is broad, like wanting to capture the pose of a running antelope-but that’s it. No thought of how things will be constructed or what materials will be used.

Hoping to keep the work fresh, I make it up as I go along in the construction process. (It also depends on what recent finds I have located.) This most recent piece, called Colocolo and Caracol, started off as a vague idea- two cats hanging out. One would be larger than the other. I wanted them to have their own area to live in so I made the rusted metal pedestal. (This piece is part of the installation, Creatures of Curiosity, which I will be assembling at SOFA in Chicago in November with Jane Sauer, my Santa Fe gallery dealer. She has given me about a 10 foot long wall to create what ever I want for this show. What an amazing dealer!)

Once I build the two creatures, I had this idea that they would be facing each other, kind of like and Egyptian frieze, a more formal pose. When I tried them this way, they looked disjointed and like they were living in different worlds. Luckily when I asked my friend Audrey(who also happens to be my wife) what she thought, she changed them immediately. They suddenly became connected, almost like parent and child. Then my friend Bob saw the piece and changed their position on the pedestal a little more, and like magic in front of my eyes, they suddenly came alive. Their relationship is intimate, secure…even protective. But each of them has that inner strength that cats can often project.

I’m amazingly lucky to have friends that put up with my ‘artist’ personality and especially that they are such good critiques and have an ‘eye’ for looking at my work. You can tell that I’m a strong believer in getting helpful feedback.

2009-09-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

Atrox and Cuprosa

2009-08-19T11:33:00.001-07:00

Atrox and Cuprosa

Figs. 237 –Painted wood, metal, cloth and found object sculpture, representing two bird-like figures, possibly in a courtship posture. One figure is perched above the other in a dominant position. Plumage on both heads made from a dark rubber-like material.

Attached to both bodies are assorted metallic tags of unusual form. Meaning unknown. Each figure is attached to a rectangular block of wood which has been ornamented by applying a think sheet of metal, nails, and screws.
The stand appears to represent a closed or contained cabinet, underneath is found this writing: b-o-t-t-o-m.

Culture: Unknown
Medium: Tropical woods, metal, cloth, found objects
Dates: ???
Dimensions: 11” x 14” x 9”
Accession Number: 87.216.2
Catalogue description: Ceremonial ritual between two bird-like figures.

Cabinet of Curiosity

2009-08-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

Afer
Wood/cloth/metal/found objects
20" x 21" x 6"

Afer is a cross between an anteater and an aardvark (did you know there is an aardwolf?) From the series, Cabinet of Curiosity, this artifact is covered with a pattern of roofing screws, old metal and an assortment of accumulations. My artifacts are objects that might have been found on a archeological site, created as a learning tool, used as something to barter, or assembled for some private ritual or ceremony.

This piece was a bit of a departure for me. First off, I didn't have any fixed idea of what type of creature I was going to make. (For the most part, I don't create a sketch or drawing of a piece ahead of time.) The elongated snout was the first piece of wood I added to the generic body. I was curious to see what might happen if a series of roofing screws were attached to the canvas. The pattern drawn in pencil on the back is still visible. A heavy staining process rusted the metal pieces which started bleeding into the fabric and wood.

Hanging down from the creature are a mix of rusted metal pieces, an old Mexican Peso, some washers used with the roofing screws, and fishing weights. The pedestal was made from an old fence that once was in my back yard.

2009-08-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

Flight of Taxus
wood/cloth/metal/stone/found objects
60" x 60" x 48"

For weeks five unassembled bird bodies got pushed around my work bench as I finished up commissions and a dog. I was not sure what I was going to do with this small flock of birds.

After coming across a Calder mobile I thought about creating something with them, something that moved and 'flew' in the air. Once the birds were completed, I started doing sketches and got a rough idea of how a mobile might work.

It's all about the balance, as I soon learned. I made the mistake of assembling everything, before I added additions to the birds. Every time I added a small detail, I had to counter the added weight somewhere else in the piece. The addition of the two rocks threw everything out of balance but I love their shape and contrast.

It all came together, and when it is hanging, the flying birds have an amazing ability to feel like the 'real' thing.

Brachyurus (maned wolf)

2009-07-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

Brachyurus is a species of wolf found in South America. What attracted me to this species is its strong features: a long thin nose, large expressive ears, piercing eyes, slim body, a beautifully curved tail and elegant feet. The creature that I build is loosely based on this wolf. She also has a little coyote, gray wolf, wild dog and red fox mixed in. She is holding up one foot, resting, while she survey's her surroundings.

Parts of old mountain bike tires were used to make her ears, nose, additions to the body and the cabinet that she sits on. I think of the base as a cabinet of curiosity, something that holds other "wonders of nature."

Brachyurus
Wood/metal/cloth/foam/found objects
27 1/2" x 21" x 16 1/2"

Article from Winter Show

2009-07-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

Man & Beast

Geoffrey Gorman, known for his animal sculptures, goes in new directions in solo show

by Kate McGraw • Journal Santa Fe

Feb 13, 2009

Geoffrey Gorman is known for his imaginative and endearing animal sculptures and certainly there are plenty in his solo exhibition opening today at Jane Sauer Gallery on Canyon Road. But there are some additions to the show that demonstrate that the veteran artist has more than an arrow in his quiver.

“Jane Sauer is terrific. She pretty much lets you do what you want, even if she is not crazy about it herself,” Gorman told the Journal . “As for me, I’ve kind of gone wild.”

Gorman’s new show includes plenty of the eponymous “Animals,” his trademark sculptures of an excited cat, a curious baboon, a high-stepping deer or long-eared rabbits. “His creatures are frozen in a moment of intense awareness of their viewers,” said Sauer. “Wild things that gaze at us in a silent moment of mutual curiosity. As all devotees of the natural world know, it’s a look that can pierce directly into the human soul.”

Being human

But Gorman also is including drawings and prints from a trip last year to China. “I did a series of about 65 drawings,” the artist said excitedly. “Nobody in Santa Fe has ever seen my drawings and prints before.”

He’s also used his sculpture techniques to create pairs of human — or humanesque — figures. “Most of what I do is based on some kind of animal. I like to look at animals and see what I want to see. But these are direct looks at human figures,” he said. “I haven’t done that in a long time. I don’t think Jane likes them.”

“I just completed a male and female couple that hang on the wall. Some of the first figures that I built were what I thought of as tree spirits, or the energy of the tree, which is called lignin. Another influence on my figures is the people that they have found in bogs in Europe,” Gorman said. “This particular couple is wearing masks. After carving the masks, I put little pieces of an old paint brush in them to suggest hair. The masks have the feeling of owls who are peering around and curious. Hanging off their bodies is my usual assortment of old typewriter parts, rusted metal, and found objects. The male figure has a small skull hanging off his waist.”

Sauer, for her part, ignored the human figures in discussing the show. “Geoffrey’s work is really for the times — happy, made from readily available low-cost materials and some of it is quite affordable,” she said. “In addition, those animals are so engaging.”

Those animals

Gorman certainly isn’t repudiating the mixed media animal sculptures. They are his primary métier, after all. He talks about his work at length on his blog, geoffrey gorman.blogspot.com. The baboon heads, for instance:

“I became obsessed with monkeys and our close relationship to them. I’ve also been fascinated with the various forms of money that I’ve seen used around the world, especially from Africa, and how it often would be made into a practical, recognizable form or shape, like a bracelet,” Gorman wrote in a recent blog. “These baboon heads have an interesting feel to them, as if they were ancient trading objects or some old sculpture. I mounted them on blocks of wood covered in rusted tin, as if they had come from a museum display.”

He uses every part of his experience, even “horrible” situations like a Chinese meal in Beijing. He made “a portrait of a duck, in honor of all the Peking ducks that are eaten in China. (I made the mistake of going to a famous Peking duck restaurant while in Beijing and it was truly horrible. Hundreds of people and dozens of duck bodies lined up for the slaughter.) His ‘hair’ is made from an old paint brush.”

A man of parts

Gorman describes himself as a man using many talents. “I’m many things. I started out in art school many years ago majoring in photography. Now I’m a practicing artist, and have been for the last several years. I’ve also been helping my Santa Fe gallery dealer (Sauer) with art fairs around the world. That involves setting up the booth and selling the art. Last fall we were in Beijing, China, and later in Chicago, participating in art fairs. I created 65 drawings and one print based on impressions of the people that I met while in Beijing. I was a gallery dealer for 15 years, but I thought I was over that part of my life. In fact, I’ve really been enjoying working with Jane, setting up and hanging the shows, and selling both my work and other artists’ work.

“I also continue to coach and consult with artists and arts organizations,” Gorman continued. “But I’m putting most of my focus on making a living at creating and selling my sculptures and drawings. So I guess I’m this combination of struggling artist, preparator, gallery dealer, coach and businessman.

“I feel pretty lucky that I’m able to use many of my skills and past experiences,” Gorman added. “In constructing my sculptures, I’m using my knowledge of woodworking from my many years as a custom furniture maker. In promoting and marketing my own art, I’m following my own advice. And it’s been pretty interesting to see how it works from the other side, the side of the working artist, the ones who have to survive in the commercial art world. It’s tougher than I thought. I have to be tougher, harder, more persistent, even pushy, when it comes to promoting myself. Being a professional artist is not for the meek and mild.”

2009-07-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

Here I am (the one wearing the shorts) installing the antlers on my deer, which was placed in a large entry hall in the new convention center in Santa Fe. He looks a little lonely in the large hallway, like he is looking for the rest of his tribe to join him...

I fantasize about building a large bird to hang down from the room, a companion piece. It would have a twenty foot wing span and still look small in the hall.

2009-06-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

After seeing so many antelope roaming by the highways on the way to Colorado, I made this piece called "Guentheri."

I also see him in a natural history museum display with a gorgeously painted backdrop. A text on the wall states: "This small (36" x 26" x 16") curious creature had ears, a tail and its hooves made from mountain bike tires. Pipe clamps hold on the hooves. On his leg an old odometer still calculates all the miles it travels on the open plains. Rusted tin, an oly eye piece, screws and found objects have attached themselves to his wooden antlers.

2009-05-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

Luteolus & Leggadena are two birds fighting in mid air. This piece is for the show at the Community Gallery in the new convention center in Santa Fe.

Luteolus & Leggadena
Wood/wire/cloth/metal found objects
54" x 48" x 30"

Viral Marketing

2009-05-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

I've been trying an experiment: to see if my work can get picked up on web sites around the world. So far two sites have run articles and images on the work. Here is the first one;

This garbage scrap buck was created by Geoffrey Gorman who clearly has a knack for making treasure from trash. His collection of recycled object fake taxidermy includes everything from deer to dogs and a whole bunch of peculiar, unidentifiable creatures If you were going to make art from found objects, would you make fake taxidermy? I know I would, after being inspired by the creations in the cluster below.

Here is the link to the site: http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eco-taxidermy-geoffrey-gorman

Delphis & Dama

2009-05-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

Studying the wild dogs in Africa inspired me to make these two pieces. Some old yellow tin, rusted wire, and found objects combined with wood and cloth were used to assemble them.

2009-04-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Geoffrey's Cat, named after the 19th century naturalist, Geoffrey St Hilaire, is found throughout southern South America, east of the Andes. With individuals found inhabiting areas around the Straits of Magellan, along with the Puma it is the most southerly of the worlds wild cat species.

Destroying Beauty

2009-04-12T10:30:00.001-07:00

Starting with the idea of what a Toucan's bill might look like, I carved a piece of wood into the shape seen here. After covering it with tin and screws, I painted it with red paint and then an overcoat of white. Most of the paint has been sanded off, then the tin has been rusted.

The piece, TOCO, actually looks more like a whale's fin, encrusted with barnacles and a weathered patina.

TOCO
wood/tin/screws/paint
4" x 7" x 3.5"
$188.89

Building Crista-Gallis' Nest

2009-03-27T14:19:00.001-07:00

Outside my studio, the world of small birds continues to fascinate me. The house finches, tiny and delicate, dominate the trees and bird feeder. They look at my window, their heads cocked. Building nests is now the main activity (besides a quick glimpse of two mating finches). They use just about any contained space to assemble found material to make their nests.

This piece that I just completed shows a house finch bringing nesting material to its nest. The nest is a bit more fanciful. I am hoping that it looks like something that Andy Goldsworthy might have put together if he were ever asked to make a bird's nest.

Building Crista-Gallis' Nest
wood/wire/metal/found objects
24" x 16" x 16"

Dugon Holding Toy

2009-03-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

This elongated figure, Dugon, has the features of an Eland or an African grazing animal. Most of the other features seem human, including the body, hands and feet. Hanging off of its belt there is a piece of weathered glass (usage unknown), a paddle or tool, and assorted other artifacts.

In its outstretched hands, the figure is holding what on first glance appears to be a toy. Upon further study, the miniature animal contains details suggesting an effigy or fetish of some kind. Could this 'toy' be some sort of fertility symbol?

Dugon Holding Toy
wood/cloth/metal/found objects
28" x 7" 6"

Found Object Art 2

2009-03-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

I just received my copy of the new book, Found Object Art 2, with several of my pieces included. The book is professionally printed and well organized. Most of the artists included in the book are making interesting and dynamic work with recycled material.

Its exciting to have images in a real book. It gives me a sense of permanence, knowing that this book might be sitting on a library shelf somewhere, waiting to be picked up and enjoyed by someone.

Ornatus & Ourebi

2009-03-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

Several winters ago, my bird feeder hosted a small house finch. Nothing unusual there, however, this particular bird had only one eye. The other one was closed. As the weeks went by, he kept coming to the feeder. I was impressed by his stamina, considering his affliction. (I later found out that there is a virus affecting small song birds around the country and that was probably what he had on his eye.)

I never saw him again. My bird feeder continues to attract dozens of house finches but I wonder what happened to him. These two birds are based on the little house finch (and hopefully capture some of his energy and beauty.)

Ornatus & Ourebi
wood/cloth/metal/found objects
each 7" x 15" x 6"

Lost & Found

2009-03-05T15:59:00.001-08:00

Tarandus
26" x 5" x 5"

A somewhat ragged deer, she is still molting. Pieces of cloth hang off her shoulders, the final remnants of her 'fur.' She holds another pair of antlers in her hands. She found them while walking in the forest. On her hip she carries a tool, its use is not known.

Bedouin with Falcon

2009-03-02T16:26:00.000-08:00

After picking up the book, Arabian Sands, by Wilfred Thesiger, his photograph of Zayid's Falconers inspired me to create this piece.

Furcifer and Lotor
wood/wire/cloth/found objects
26" x 6" x 7"

The First Piece

2009-03-01T11:33:00.001-08:00

This is the first piece of sculpture that I made. It was shown at the St. John's College exhibition, Books As Inspiration, in November of 2005. I was co-curating the show and decided to make a piece. The theme had to do with using something from one of the great books that St. John's uses in its curriculum. There were about 65 pieces of art from artists around Santa Fe.

I read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and made this piece, which shows Huck and Jim floating down the river. An old ledger was used for the raft. My first pieces were assembled with sticks from my back yard, sculpting wax that a friend had given me, and old bed sheets that I ripped apart.

Blue Man

2009-02-25T19:45:00.001-08:00

Much of what I am creating is about the material used to make each piece. This elongated figure is built from juniper branches, metal, wire, found objects and cloth. After assembling this piece, I spray painted it blue- the color that I am currently obsessed with.

Upon closer inspection, just about every crack, weathered branch and distressed surface has been highlighted by the paint. You can see where joints have been wired together, how tiny twigs and wire and cloth have been wrapped to form a foot, or how the knee joints aren't actually even touching, just butted and held together by wire.

After the paint dried, other unpainted metal elements were attached to the figure, offering a stark contrast to the blue paint. Then the 'weathering' process started. After numerous watering, paint started to peal off of metal surfaces and rust appeared, then bled onto the painted surfaces.

Why paint the piece? To cover up all the natural elements allows the piece to be viewed for its structure. Why would natural materials, so elegant in their original state, be covered over in every day house paint? Good questions...

Museum Proposal

2009-02-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

I have made several proposals to regional museums for installations of my work. (There has been interest but no takers yet.) The drawing above is to give someone an idea of what it might look like to have a group of my deer in a museum setting.

Here is the concept for this installation:
I believe that most people (in their minds) quickly develop stories about what they are seeing, especially when it is something recognizable, like an animal. As a visual artist, I am a storyteller, but I want my audience to participate in creating these stories. I just give them the starting point. That is why the animals I build are not detailed, recognizable representations of a specific species, but more of a short hand or rough outline of that creature.

My idea of installing a group of deer came about from observing them in nature and how profound that simple experience can be. Even seeing deer in suburban settings, I felt as if I were observing remnants of some secret society. But I believe that animals are symbolic of the human and animal condition.

The materials that I use to build my animals (such as tree branches, rusted metal, old canvas and found objects) creates a push and pull between past and present, deterioration and rejuvenation, survival and extinction, nature versus man. But in my mind nature has won. My creatures are proof that they are both surviving and prospering.

In bringing a herd of deer into a static, formal setting such as a museum raises many questions: Who is free? Are we wild or are these animals? Are we able to live and be happy in many environments? Do we find comfort in remnants of our past? Do animals cherish the same emotions and memories that humans have? Are we constantly in an internal and external battle to remove the cages that bind us?

This picture is of a deer that I made in 2008. It was exhibited in the Biennial Show at the Albuquerque Museum last Fall.

A New Start

2009-02-20T12:39:00.000-08:00

Since I started making stuff four years ago, I've had a total of three openings where it was just my work. I forgot how much work it is to get ready for a show. (There were good days and bad days.)

The opening was last Friday, February 13th, and it went well, all things considered. But getting back into the studio and being excited about making new work has been a bit of a challenge. Finally, yesterday, I finished two figures.

Today I also finished a larger figure, and painted it blue. It's a bit of a departure but I am excited about how it will look once it's been 'weathered.'

The Show

2009-02-15T09:34:00.001-08:00

2009-02-09T08:06:00.000-08:00

Audrey Derell, a fantastic graphic designer and photographer, (and my wife) put together this announcement for my show. It says it all!

Interview With The Artist* Part III

2009-02-05T06:42:00.000-08:00

ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT YOUR SHOW AT JANE SAUER'S GALLERY? I'm showing with one of the best galleries in the country! To be showing with Jane is such an honor. She works with some of the most innovative and interesting artists from around the United States. Yes-I'm pretty excited about this show and the variety of work that will be in it.

ARE YOU A PRINT MAKER? No, BUT I love to draw...In making prints, my challenge is to combine various materials to create an interesting image. This print is made up of a vellum sheet grommeted to a 1985 topography map of China that I found . The grommets hold the two pieces of paper together. I had a stamp made on the Internet. In red it has the title of the print with my name. I used a red cord on the top. (I am trying to make one print a year).Beijing Xiexie is the second print that I've made.

When I was in Beijing I thought I would see thousands of bicycles, but in fact, there weren't that many. I took a picture of a bike leaning against a wall and used it for this image. But the other thing that struck me while in China was how difficult it was to really understand and get know the people. My feeling was that they would say something to me but be thinking something completely different. I realized that it was about many layers of meanings and such a long history of cultural influences that I could never just 'stop' by to learn about China.

SO YOUR SHOW AT JANE SAUER'S GALLERY IS QUITE DIVERSE, RIGHT? Yes, I'm lucky that Jane is open to having a wide variety of work for the show. With my other galleries, some wanted only animals, others just wanted figures, and only my San Francisco gallery would show the drawings on plywood.Here is a drawing called Lignin, black ink pen on plywood, with a splash of whiteout. I love the rawness of the drawings on birch plywood.

So, for my show, I will be designing an installation of the small Beijing drawings. The digital print is a part of that group.

I've also made the figures in the boat and the two on the wall. When you see them in person they have an intensity. I guess its the rusted stuff hanging off of them and the stained wood. I hope they feel like some curious artifact that has been unearthed, maybe from a past culture. Are they toys-or something more ritualistic?

There will be a grouping of what I am calling 'prosperity' birds, they are all living out in this marsh, building nests and looking for food. Some of them are flying and one is walking in the marsh.

One wall will be have a large family of squirrels. They look really cool in a gallery setting. They are so scruffy but the gallery is so pristine. And I've built a small series of bird heads, kind of like studies for larger pieces.

A grouping of dogs will also be in the show. I think of these dogs as being pretty feral, like the dogs you run into in the villages in Mexico. They are a breed, but one that its impossible to figure out-a little of this, a little of that... And these dogs are not the type to fetch a stick for you, unless there's a rabbit on the end of it.

WOW, A LOT WORK. Its not work, its more like play...

Interview With The Artist* Part II

2009-01-30T03:08:00.000-08:00

DO YOU JUST MAKE ANIMALS? No. I make other objects too. For my show at Jane Sauer's gallery in February, I just completed a male and female couple that hang on the wall. Some of the first figures that I built were what I thought of as tree spirits, or the energy of the tree, which is called lignin. Another influence on my figures is the people that they have found in bogs in Europe.
This particular couple is wearing masks. After carving the masks, I put little pieces of an old paint brush in them to suggest hair. The masks have the feeling of owls who are peering around and curious. Hanging off their bodies is my usual assortment of old typewriter parts, rusted metal, and found objects. The male figure has a small skull hanging off his waist. (Click on the image to see the details.)

Over the winter, I was reading The Marsh Arabs by Wilfred Thesige, an account of his time in the 1950's spent with the Arabs that lived in the marshes in Iraq. He took beautiful photographs of them, and what really fascinated me were the fishing boats that they carved. They used small nets to fish with and that is what my sculpture is based on, two men hauling in their fishing net.

WHAT ARE THE ANIMAL HEADS ABOUT? Oh, the baboon heads? I became obsessed with monkeys and our close relationship to them. I've also been fascinated with the various forms of money that I've seen used around the world, especially from Africa, and how it often would be made into a practical, recognizable form or shape, like a bracelet. These baboon heads have an interesting feel to them, as if they were ancient trading objects or some old sculpture. I mounted them on blocks of wood covered in rusted tin, as if they had come from a museum display.

I also made two of the monkey heads covered in canvas, which has a more tribal feel to it. They are both on metal shelves that are constructed from rusted metal. I think professional presentation of my work is critical.

Here is a picture of a portrait of a duck, in honor of all the Peking Ducks that are eaten in China. (I made the mistake of going to a famous Peking Duck restaurant while in Beijing and it was truly horrible. Hundreds of people and dozens of duck bodies lined up for the slaughter.) His 'hair' is made from an old paint brush.

Interview With The Artist*

2009-01-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

WHO ARE YOU? I'm many things. I started out in art school many years ago majoring in photography. Now I'm a practicing artist, and have been for the last several years. I've also been helping my Santa Fe gallery dealer, Jane Sauer, with art fairs around the world. That involves setting up the booth and selling the art. Last fall we were in Beijing, China, and later in Chicago, participating in art fairs. I created 65 drawings and one print based on my impressions of the people that I met while in Beijing. This picture shows 6 of the drawings.

I also continue to coach and consult with artists and arts organizations. But I'm putting most of my focus on making a living at creating and selling my sculptures and drawings. So I guess I'm this combination of struggling artist, prepator, gallery dealer, coach and business man.

THAT'S QUITE A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES...WHY SO MANY? I feel pretty lucky that I'm able to use many of my skills and past experiences. In constructing my sculptures I'm using my knowledge of woodworking from my many years as a custom furniture maker. In promoting and marking my own art, I'm following my own advice. And it's been pretty interesting to see how it works from the other side, the side of the working artist, the ones who have to survive in the commercial art world. Its tougher than I thought, what I mean is I have to be tougher, harder, more persistent, even pushy, when it comes to promoting myself. Being a professional artist is not for the meek and mild!

WHAT ABOUT THE ART FAIRS? I was a gallery dealer for fifteen years. But I thought I was over that part of my life. In fact I've actually really been enjoying working with Jane, setting up and hanging the shows, and selling both my work and other artist's work. The China fair was pretty slow but the show in Chicago in November was amazingly busy...and fun. Being in Beijing was fascinating and we met some interesting gallery dealers and artists.

I'VE JUST BECOME FAMILIAR WITH YOUR SCULPTURES. THEY ARE CURIOUS, TO SAY THE LEAST... I've heard worse, I guess. Some people are really turned off when they see my pieces. Other people totally get them. Hey, I'm happy that I can get any response at all, good or bad.

Recently I've been finding my images on other blogging sites from people I've never met, but they've been compelled enough to share my work with their audience. That's pretty cool. But I think about them very much as living, breathing dynamic creatures. (They live in a world just outside of our perception. Don't forget that they are WILD creatures. They see us but we don't see them.)

I just completed this piece that is a fanciful crane, part of a series of birds I am calling prosperity birds. She's pretty weathered and care-worn but just as strong and active as ever. She is out in a marshy area collecting moss for her nest, where she lives with a large group of other birds. Her legs have been dipped in blue paint, and have that wonderful feeling of being in water (at least I hope that is the effect.)

WHAT ARE PROSPERITY BIRDS? Have you seen the cranes and wildlife that come to the bosque in southern New Mexico?
Its this fantastic wildlife refuge where a variety of birds stop by in the winter. I love the sandhill cranes that hang out there. They are fascinating to watch, when they walk its like seeing a bird on stilts, gawky and awkward but at the same time majestic. And the earthy sounds they make sound like broken sticks being hit against each other. They have these long bills that they wield around like lances or something.

My prosperity birds are based on them, and also the cranes from Japanese culture. They are considered to bring good luck and prosperity. I hope that my birds can do the same.

*This is Part 1 of a 3 Part interview with Geoffrey Gorman conducted by **BIRD, a private arts organization. (**both irrational rational dialog)

Jane Sauer Gallery

2009-01-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

Soseum, a small monkey, is part of a series of animals that have escaped from a traveling carnival show. Soseum has been on his own for quite some time, thus elements have weathered him. His coat, a torn piece of the carnival banner, is still usable but stained and worn. (His name can barely seen seen.) Attached to his arm is his old metal name plate, something he removed from his cage. Clutched in one hand he holds an old toy, possibly a part of a roller skate.

He is quite perky and enjoying his freedom. Living in the wilds, he has managed to find several other creatures that, like him, have escaped from the human world.

Steel wool makes up his fur. Rusted blue tin was used to construct his face and old fencing and branches were used to build his arms, legs and tail. Painted canvas and grommets were used to make his skin and coat. A rusted handle from an old paint can clings to his leg.

Soseum
Wood/cloth/foam/metal/found objects
30" x 18" x 8"

Drawing and Ice Heads

2009-01-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

Its been more than 30 years since I have drawn from a live model. I always loved it.

This morning I spent two hours in a studio full of other artists DRAWING a 'live' model. It was both incredibly intimidating and intensely exciting. I made the mistake of looking around at several other artists drawings; I won't do that for awhile. But I loved it, just as I loved it many years ago and am looking forward to joining the class on a weekly basis.

I have included a picture of a recent sculpture that I am 'seasoning' with my special recipe of frozen water and time. Its a life size casting of a human skull that i covered in metal, painted and now it's up to mother nature to finish it.

Velox

2009-01-20T11:16:00.000-08:00

Velox is a figure that I just completed. Influences for these figures include native toys that I have seen in Alaska, the bog people discovered in Europe and African sculptures.

The mask, (which I think of as an owl face) has hair made from an old paintbrush. Its shoulders are wrapped in rusted cloth and old parts from a typewriter hand off of it's waist.

Velox
Wood/metal/cloth/found material
21" x 7.5" x 4"

2009-01-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

Saturday, January 17 - 11:25

I'm starting to get organized on my props and set illustrations for the opera, Language of Birds, being put on by Santa Fe New Music, in association with the Lensic, in Santa Fe. Dates for the show start on Friday, March 27. (http://sfnm.org/)

I'm working on building a queen's throne that will have an osprey's nest attached to it. I'm also making some cut-outs of a ship, a horse, and some flying birds. Its a great change from my other work.

I'm also finishing up the pieces for my solo show at Jane Sauer Gallery. That show will open on February 13th. Here is the latest and largest piece for the show.

geoffrey gorman

Commission

Doves

Leaping Antelope

Birds with Wings

American Style Magazine Article

Working in My Studio

Birds and Rabbits

Talk at SOFA Chicago

New Work For SOFA Chicago

American Craft Article

Barn Owl

All The Work for Chengju

Cheongju International Craft Biennale 2011, South Korea

Short Video, Second Nature

The two final large pieces for my show

Santa Fean June/July

June Show

Alpinus in Action

Oliaris Caught in the Light

New York Post

Alleni Taking Aim

Surviving SOFA

Having Wings

Interpretations

January Work

The Final Five for SOFA Chicago 2010

Commission

Another Piece for SOFA Chicago

Four New Pieces for SOFA Chicago

Two Dogs

Swimming Otter

China Painting

Running Fox

Article in May issue of SouthWest Art

The Final Four

3 Rabbits

Another Dog

February Show

Press Release

Xix (or the struggle)

Public Installation

SOFA Chicago

Dicactylus

Creatures of Curiosity - Statement

Endangered Species

Desert Dwellers

Creatures of Curiosity

Sagita & Savii

Atrox and Cuprosa

Cabinet of Curiosity

Brachyurus (maned wolf)

Article from Winter Show

Man & Beast

Being human

Those animals

A man of parts

Luteolus & Leggadena are two birds fighting in mid air. This piece is for the show at the Community Gallery in the new convention center in Santa Fe.

Luteolus & LeggadenaWood/wire/cloth/metal found objects54" x 48" x 30"

Viral Marketing

Delphis & Dama

Geoffrey's Cat, named after the 19th century naturalist, Geoffrey St Hilaire, is found throughout southern South America, east of the Andes. With individuals found inhabiting areas around the Straits of Magellan, along with the Puma it is the most southerly of the worlds wild cat species.

Destroying Beauty

Building Crista-Gallis' Nest

Dugon Holding Toy

Found Object Art 2

Ornatus & Ourebi

Lost & Found

Bedouin with Falcon

The First Piece

Blue Man

Museum Proposal

A New Start

The Show

Interview With The Artist* Part III

Interview With The Artist* Part II

Interview With The Artist*

Jane Sauer Gallery

Drawing and Ice Heads

Velox

Luteolus & Leggadena
Wood/wire/cloth/metal found objects
54" x 48" x 30"