Gina Telcocci

Artist Statement:

I use raw materials, which I often harvest or find myself, to make enigmatic sculptures ranging in size from small toy-like objects to large indoor & outdoor installations. Prominent in the work are my connections to the physical world of matter and space, and to ancient traditions of craft, gardening, and building.

 Willow, reed, roots, seed pods, beached plywood, orphaned hardware, wire, old sheet music – these are some of the raw materials in my artwork. I find a kind of directness and eloquence in these things that I don’t find in more precious materials. Things that have been patinaed by time and the elements are especially evocative to me.

 My forms are usually simple - organic or geometric, and almost always hollow, with openings. Having interior volumes that are at least obliquely accessible to the viewer suggests something about our inner & outer lives as creatures on the planet.

Strands are used often to make woven structures in my pieces. Coaxing order out of the chaos of raw materials is important to all aspects of my art – process, concept, and aesthetic. Also central to the work are the qualities of delicacy and fragility in the materials, contrasted with the surprising strength and flexibility of humble traditional weaving techniques.

Gina has been making sculpture and installations since grad school (MFA, University of Colorado/Boulder). Her work has been exhibited across the US, in Mexico and South Korea. Public commissions include University of New Mexico/Los Alamos, Walnut Creek Library, and Potrero Hill Library in San Francisco. She has received grants from the Pollock Krasner Foundation, the City of Oakland, and the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation. She currently teaches 3-D Design at Santa Rosa Junior College in Santa Rosa, CA.