Gerard Dutton S166117
Artist Statement. Fine Art Level 6 march 2016
My art has grown in a totally different direction since arriving at UCS Ipswich, I arrived with what I thought of as a well-rounded and long journey through life and have always painted and drawn, and made sculptures of sorts. But I must say that in my sixties, on arrival at UCS I realised that I was only really playing at art.
Being surrounded by some of the most out of the box thinking students has drawn me out of myself and with the help of my tutors I think I can honestly say that my outlook on art has taken on a whole new horizon.
My work now consists of making free standing sculpture from recycled materials found in car wrecker’s yards, around farms and engineering companies. I mainly leave the work unpainted and allow it to rust in the elements thus showing the meaningful nature of the constructions. This intriguing method allows for a certain element of chance and it is this part of the work that I find so absorbing it brings all the facets of the work together and allows the material itself to tell the story of the work.
Since being at UCS I have been introduced to artists that I would normally have passed by, but in trying to understand the works of the likes of Gormley, Caro, Moore and Serra, I have come to a better understand of the meaning of Art and all its many schools of thought and production.
With all the above in mind and the few exhibitions my work has been displayed in, I have found a more exciting form of art that I will take a lot further.
