Specious Morphology
Join us Friday, May 12th, 2023 for the opening reception of the immersive installation “Specious Morphology” by Gerry Stecca at Conde Contemporary, 334 Main Street in Downtown Natchez. The following morning, Saturday, May 13th at 10:30 the gallery will host an artist talk with Stecca.
Gerry Stecca is a working artist and professor at Savannah College of Art and Design, visiting Natchez as part of the Arts Danu teaching artist residency program, whereby artists are given a place to stay and work in Natchez for a given period of time; in exchange the artists agree to teach students in the community for free.
This will be the fifth version of “Specious Morphology”, four others showings have taken place: Alexander Hall in Savannah, Silvana Facchini Gallery in Miami, Coosa St. Pop Up Gallery in Montgomery, Alabama and Miami Dade College in Florida. Additionally works from and inspired by these shows were shown at the Patricia and Phillip Art Museum in Miami.
Stecca graduated with his MFA from SCAD, but his earlier studies at the University of California in San Diego, where he received his BA in Visual Arts, Stecca also studied, biology, organic chemistry, molecular biology and genetics. The influential traces of these studies are evident in his work.
“I observe, absorb and digest aspects of nature which eventually blend into my works' imaginary depths of space, line, color and composition. Inspired by early microscopic investigations as a child, extensive childhood Lego's architectural experimentation and later study of science, I create my own, tangible yet specious art and designs.
Tree Wrap installation.
The physical essence of my sculptures and paintings is rooted in the accumulation of units, multiple layers of paint and plaster and endless patience; parallel methodologies and shared inspiration allow them to coexist and evolve as one. The cadence of a repetitious sculptural process is mirrored in the layered mixed media paintings and drawings. Fastidious to most, I achieve an enjoyable meditative like state during these stubbornly repetitive art making sessions. All together, my work forms penetrable spaces framed by paintings of imaginary journeys.
Inspired by casual explorations at the edge of the Everglades and now Coastal Georgia ecosystems, my backyard, my childhood in the tropics and many travels, these works now exist in their own plausible and fantastic dimension.” - Gerry Stecca
The artist uses more than 25,000 clothespins, in excess of 250 collected and treated snail shells and hundeds of Sand Hickory nut shells, thousands of fee of galvanized steel and copper wire, over 100 paintings and drawings as well as approximately 150 individual sculptural pieces to create the installation.
Do not miss the opportunity to view the exhibition and meet with the artist.