Oceans and sky, mountains and horizon: varying perspectives alter the geometry of each piece by Celia Gerard. Imaging an ariel view, circles and squares divide the fields below. There is an investigation of depth, both through paper and sculpture, which relies on the vantage point. Combining aspects of the exterior and the interior, her work feels architectural yet natural. Gerard’s artistic practice evolves deliberately and intuitively, steadfastly continuing to explore spatial relationships and compositional harmony.
Embracing a wide range of methodologies and materials, Celia Gerard works with a limited palette. Each tone, each new hue, is introduced with intention. This collection of work was developed through her interest in the expressive content and expansive variations of the color blue. Gerard seamlessly continues this discourse in paper, bronze, and ceramic; forming a consistent message in three separate languages. While her work prioritizes drawing and structure, color plays an important role in making the compositions cohesive while also engaging with her ever-evolving influences.
Drawn from works by Augustine and poet Jorie Graham, Gerard’s work pays homage to both historical and contemporary influences, while also referencing a sense of being in between the unknown and the known. Within Gerard’s works, the eye takes timeless journeys through prismatic fields and landscapes. Bruce Gagnier, one of Gerard’s mentors, describes the work this way: “Celia Gerard draws in depth, a plastic, pictorial depth; forming volumes in space based on geometry; perhaps the geometry that is hidden in nature. The space we travel through in these works is palpable in the drawing and resonant in our unconscious. Looking at one of these works is a journey to an important place located on the picture plane; a focal point; we are guided to this locus, far from the surface; a somewhere else; an important place to arrive at after a poetic journey; a place deep in space; but with no named presence; focused finally in ourselves.”
Celia Gerard was born in Washington, D.C. in 1973. She received her BA with honors in art and art history from Colgate University, her EdM from Harvard University, and her MFA in sculpture from the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture. She has exhibited her work at the National Academy Museum, New York, NY; Lori Bookstein Gallery, New York, NY; Sears-Peyton Gallery, New York, NY; Maya Frodeman Gallery, Jackson, WY; Sideshow Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; The New York Studio School, New York, NY; Gutman Library, Harvard University, MA; Lacoste Gallery, Lacoste, France; ISA Gallery, Montecastello di Vibio, Italy and numerous other galleries around the world. Awards and grants include the S.J. Wallace Truman Fund Award for graphics from the National Academy Museum; Artist-in-residence, the New York Studio School; Seligman/ Von Simpson award for excellence in sculpture; LCU foundation grant; and a sculpture fellowship from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Her work has been written about in ARTnews, Parabola, works & conversation, and City Arts. She is currently teaching drawing at Columbia University and the School of Visual Arts, and has taught at Pratt, Bard College, Swarthmore, the New York Studio School, Centenary College and Riker’s Island Correctional Facility. She lives and works in New York City.