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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

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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