Regan Gentry
Regan’s sculptural tree featured
in the garden, “Ecology of Place” is
his debut work in America. For this work, he was charged with creating his own statement tree on the exact location previously occupied by the infamous Blue Tree, created by Claude Cormier which, had been somewhat of an icon of Cornerstone until 2007 when it had to be taken down for safety reasons.
“It was a wonderful invitation to receive out of the blue,” says Gentry, perhaps unknowingly inciting irony about his invitation from Biaggi to create this new tree. “Visitors can expect to have not seen this work before,” says Regan about his wire tree. “It’s like a pencil drawing of a tree has released itself from the page and taken steroids. I have heard that people see my work as rather literal sometimes, but I figure that’s a lack of engagement on their part. My work is often physically confronting, where engineers or fabricators might enjoy the piece more than the highbrow crowd, which is fine with me.”
The public is invited to come “engage” with Regan’s work for themselves in Suzanne Biaggi’s garden, “Ecology of Place”, which officially opens July 18th, 2013.
Regan’s artistic practice typically depicts the relationship of people to their environment and how this is acted out. Using a wide range of materials and situations, his work is characterized by a playful musing and using of material, language, location and structure. The phrases, materials and circumstances he employs in his work are chosen for their familiarity and well-established usage in our lives. The interplay of people and place, local history and situational relevance, often inform his conceptual decisions. www.Regangentry.com