Changing Coats by George Ehnat

If you enjoy truly “original” contemporary artwork, you will appreciate the work of George Ehnat. He is presently exhibiting at Dinnerware Contemporary Art Gallery now celebrating their 30^th year. The opening reception was held Saturday September 12. George Ehnat was one of the original founders of Dinnerware in 1979 when it started as a Co-op Gallery.

Ehnat’s new exhibition offers some of his latest creations. An artist for over 45 years, his body of work speaks for itself.  Bronze, stone, marble, wood, are his favorite mediums. He gets his inspirations from the streams of consciousness reflected in everyday life experiences like people, art, news, etc. Below are a few of his signature pieces.

Signature by George Ehnat

Sculpture for the Blind by Ehnat

Ehnat’s creations are influenced by his own father’s paintings from in his youth.  Unfortunately, his dad was severly injured in WWII and his paintings after that were limited because of his disability.   Another strong influence was André Breton, who’s Surrealism became a European movement that influenced all domains of art.  Breton’s work questioned the origin of human understanding and human perceptions of things and events and a different interpretation of reality.

For the past 12 years George has traveled numerous times to Eastern Europe going back to understand his roots.  While there he met Andrej Rudavsky, and was invited to use his studio to create works at the studio in Bratislava, Slovakia. Rudavsky, a sculptor famous when Russia invaded  Czechoslovakia , wouldn’t sign papers of allegiance to Russia so was ostracized and lost numerous commissions because of it. When Slovakia became a Republic he became reinstated.

When you view the artist’s work your first impression is the professional workmanship. Looking closer you will find the true story behind their meaning. For example the wall sculpture CHANGING COATS, at first looks like a unique encaustic abstract.  The true story is reflected in the title and the realization that the Slovakian people had to constantly ‘”change” with the changing oppressive administrations forced on them by the Russians.

Figure Reclining-Bronze by George Ehnat

"Horos" bronze by Ehnat

His bronze pieces on display are “one-of-a -kind”.  He first creates them out of oil-based clay, makes a mold and then uses the lost wax process to make the bronze.  He does his own finishing and patina. George has done only one bronze in his career that was more than one casting preferring only one original.

Ehnat’s marble and stone pieces are uniquely different. The artist states “I just start craving the stone not knowing for sure what it will be and eventually the stone seems to tell me what it wants to be and I create it.”

Evolved (Marble) by Ehnat

Maquette for D.C. Mall (marble) by Ehnat

Unlike many artists creating works closely resembling their other works, George Ehnat is constantly exploring new ideas. In this exhibition there are several new pieces that reflect his uniqueness.  Painting the Danube installation is one of those as is the very contemporary new wall piece TETRA, a sculpture created just for this show. His new digographics on view at the exhibit are also a new expression for the artist.

Shield (Mixed media) by Ehnat

Andrej Rudavsky helped the artist become a member of the Slovak Artist’s Union in Bratislava. George has had several prestigious exhibitions in Slovakia and is in permanent collections there. From his travels he has become very interested in the lives of the Gypsies and is presently doing a study about them. Their unusual lifestyle will no doubt influence some of his future work.

If you enjoy fine art I recommend you viewing the exhibition at Dinnerware Contemporary Art Gallery, 264 E. Congress St. ((520) 792-4503) http://www.dinnerwarearts.com/

The public opening  celebrated the 30^th year of the Dinnerware Galley being in Tucson. (1979-2009) This  Ehnat exhibition will run until September 26.

* More of George Ehnat’s work can be seen on his facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ehnatsculpture

David got into art from somewhat the back door. As a ski instructor one winter in Lake Tahoe, with no snow on the mountain, he needed a job to pay the bills and got a job in a wood working shop. He fell in love with wood and pursued this passion for years until one of his patrons in 1999 overheard him talk about his desire to work with metal. She commissioned a $10,000 project and this allowed him to buy the welding equipment he needed to pursue his new passion.

He quickly began sculpting in steel, copper, aluminum and bronze. His work has been exhibited in museum shows, on magazine covers and in private collections internationally. His primary goal with his metal work is to use recycled materials whenever possible and add a touch of happiness with the end product.

His series of metal dogs grace many a happy home and all are made from recycled materials. He creates great metal cats also.

A few years ago he attended class at Pima Community College to hone his welding skills and learn to work with stainless steel. He soon after applied for a $250,000 public art commission in Oro Valley. He and local artist Steve Farley got the commission from a heavily juried group of professional artists. David did the metal work and Steve did his recognizable tile work.
Voisard’s steel sculptures can be seen at several locations within the Oracle Crossings Shopping Center located at Oracle Rd & Magee Rd in Oro Valley. You will probably come away with a smile on your face.

David Voisard is presently creating metal gates using recycled materials for a number of homes in Tucson. Six of his newer ones are located in the W. University neighborhood. To view more of his artistic creations visit http://www.voisardstudios.com or visit him at his studio located in the Amado Territory Ranch.

This blog was going to be called “For Art’s Sake,” paying tribute to the “Art for Art’s Sake,” or “l’art pour l’art,” notion and battlecry that decrees art is not required to do anything but simply exist.

But when I ran this title by Charlie Spillar, art blog contributor and now administrator of this blog, he made that “eh” sound people emit when they really hate your new haircut.

So the blog is named Artistic Tucson.

Contributors will include:

• Charlie Spillar: He’s the guy who was honored for finding homes for the Magic Carpet Golf statues. He’s also the creator of many wacky pieces, some larger than life, and a fellow Gemini. The latter makes him automatically cool. His head is always flowing with ideas and his definition of ART is very broad, so be ready for some funky stuff.

• David Aguirre: Director downtown’s Dinnerware Artspace, Aguirre has a good eye for art and sense of humor. He recently held an entire exhibit that focused on chickens. It even had a live chicken at the reception (where I believe chicken was also served much to the consternation of the guest of honor).

• Ben McNitt: This artistic fellow has a palette full of talent and knowledge about the local art scene. He’s a longtime writer and artist who specializes in woodworking and has close ties with the local arts group WAMO.

Check back soon for their premiere post.

Do you want to add to the Artistic Tucson blog? E-mail site Ryngmaster Ryn Garguinski at rynski@tucsoncitizen.com