MEDIA CONTACT:
Elena Rodriguez, Curator of Exhibitions, RCA Vanessa Ormsby, RCA Communications Manager
(361) 729-5519 /elena@rockportartcenter.com (361) 729-5519 /vanessa@rockportartcenter.com
ROCKPORT CENTER FOR THE ARTS WELCOMES WEDGWORTH EXHIBITION
Show to feature sculptural creations of artist Brian Wedgworth
ROCKPORT, Texas (April 19, 2023) — Tejidos en Fierro showcasing the welded sculptures of artist Brian Wedgworth, is coming to Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA), April 28–July 16, featured in the Jeanie & Bill Wyatt Gallery located on the upper level.
Wedgworth will discuss his work and process in a gallery talk on Friday, May 19, at 12:30 p.m., which is free and open to the public, with a members-only reception from 5–7 p.m. that evening. Both events will be held in the Wyatt Gallery.
Tejidos en Fierro, or woven in iron, features Wedgworth’s sculptures comprised of found and fabricated geometric shapes welded into unique creations.
"Wedgworth’s sculptures have a very graphic quality to them,” said Elena Rodriguez, exhibitions curator for Rockport Center for the Arts. “When walking around the sculptures, I love seeing how the relationship between positive and negative space changes and morphs. The artwork has a very essential and unmoveable quality — the heavy metal, the geometric forms — and speaks to a certain universality of truth and physics.”
Working from his own Titan Studio located in Harlingen, Texas, which he and his wife have run for nearly 20 years, Wedgworth says he gains direction and momentum by working on multiple pieces at the same time to achieve a unifying cadence. Building components independently and then playing with different configurations until he finds something that feels right, he uses electrode welding to accentuate the seams and create a scarred or stitched effect, which he likens to learning and growing from experience.
“The sculptures are autobiographical narratives,” said Wedgworth. “The color, the treatment of the surface, and the welded seams convey my life’s journey but in reality, my core values are about process, form, and craftsmanship. I like to let the work speak for itself and I invite the viewer to reflect on the juxtapositions.”
Wedgworth’s work has been exhibited internationally with numerous solo exhibitions and more than 75 group shows throughout Texas and Northern Mexico, including the solo exhibit Solar Fusion installed at the Contemporary Art Museum of Tamaulipas, in Matamoros, Mexico. His workcan be found in several private and public collections throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Europe.
One of the founding members of the McAllen Art Council, Wedgworth plays an active role in the Rio Grande Valley art community in South Texas and is a board member of the Texas Sculpture Group, one of three affiliates operating in cooperation with the International Sculpture Center (ISC).
Tijedos en Fierro is free and open to the public. For general information, visit rockportartcenter.com, follow RCA on Facebook, or call (361) 729-5519.
About Rockport Center for the Arts
The new 1.2-acre Rockport Center for the Arts is located a block away from Aransas Bay in the heart of the Rockport Cultural Arts District. Designed by the award-winning team at Richter Architects, the state-of-the-art campus features a two-story, 14,000-square-foot, visual arts and education building with four galleries and five classrooms (204 S. Austin St.); a one-story, 8,000-square-foot conference and event center, known as The ROCC, including a 4,400-square-foot ballroom and culinary arts kitchen (106 S. Austin St.); with a 16,000-square-foot Sculpture Garden serving as a visually inspiring transition space between the two buildings. Hours of operation for the showroom, galleries, and gift shop are Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday from noon–4 p.m. Admission is always free. For general information and to become a member, visit rockportartcenter.com, follow RCA on Facebook, or call (361) 729-5519. For information on event space, or to book an event, contact Paulette Kluge at (361) 960-2090.
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