All Creatures Great and Small

The blue-footed Paromius can be found skimming the water, consuming everything that will fit in its floppy gullet. Courtesy of the Jane Sauer Gallery

In a small studio in Santa Fe, N.M., a modern-day alchemist bends over his worktable. Around him lie piles of twisted sticks, bicycle tires, baling wire, rusted screws and washers, torn canvas, medallions and a few tools. Layer by layer, contemporary sculptor Geoffrey Gorman builds charismatic creatures that, with the final touches, suddenly become “real.” As the puppet Geppetto once carved from wood turned into the boy Pinocchio, so do Gorman’s creatures come alive, exploring the territories between reality and legend, science and imagination.

Commenting on why collectors are increasingly attracted to Gorman’s work and why she is pleased to represent it, Jane Sauer, of the Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, said, “Geoffrey captures whimsy in the midst of a serious dialogue on the relationship between man and animal. His pieces are so complex that you can return again and again and see new details. For me, it was love at first sight. Geoffrey has an uncanny ability to illustrate the core traits of any animal, yet make them quite human.”

To read the whole story, pick up your copy of the Winter 2011-2012 issue of AmericanStyle today!