Gary Gee
Visual Arts: Ceramics, Graphic Arts, Illustration, Mixed Media, Works on paper
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Gary Gee, finds the urban setting to be extremely fertile ground for all types of artistic expression. Some of this inspiration has evolved from illegal graffiti and hip hop culture, or was acquired directly from art studies to design creation for wearable apparel and gallery exhibition. Gee’s puts a lot of himself in his creations, much of the work is poetic and reflective of his experience in urban environments, the tight-knight communities, the dreams, desires, goals and the troubling and malevolent ways that black men are viewed by society. This work is often psychological in nature with narratives expressed across multiple layers taking the tangible form of drawing, painting, collage and assemblage sculpture exploring the weight, depth and breath of the inner-city agglomeration through storytelling.
The work is an extension of this versatile artist, it’s an honest visual narrative which includes a mix of natural talent, formal education, raw emotion with a sharp urban edge, and a strong street art aesthetic. The visual commentary in his artwork includes a compelling range of work expressing a wide range from as far back as his playful Jr. High School sense of humor days, or an eclectic satirical spin on daily life-daily living, to a more quantitative and powerful social and political perspective.
His current body of work has been based on exploration in ceramics which include pieces composed of hand cast miniature brick walls set off with a graffiti style amid visual symbols which he extracts and extends from the familiar. These often contain hidden messages, important cultural or social representations meant to engage the curious onlooker. The skulls are also hand cast, many of them contain imagery as well. The crowns are regal imbued with gleaming luster finishes, multiple layers of glazes and incorporating his favored mixed media aspect by utilizing acrylics and spray paints. The skulls that he creates are both a challenge and a lot of fun at the same time for him personally, due to the scientific aspects of ceramic media in general.
The effort that this gifted artist has put out into the universe has manifested into many honors and awards including selection as an Ivy Tech Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award, an Indiana Arts Commission, On-Ramp: Creative Career Accelerator Participant and a recent Beckmann Emerging Artist Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Accomplishments such as these have helped to bring his creations further into the arts mainstream as well as through participation in a number of juried exhibitions across the country. His work is now held in private and corporate collections.
Gee, has also now come to the realization that he should be more vocal as an artist, and in addition to creating distinctive artworks he recently began facilitating a weekly “Monday 2 Monday,” Motivational Monday campaign on social media in 2018.
