Striking works by Phyllis Lasché and Danny Rosales emphasize materiality and transformation in this exhibition of new work at GearBox Gallery this fall.

Rosales capitalizes on a bold aesthetic & deft craftsmanship while pushing his work in new directions in his latest series of sculpture and Lasché brings a layered history of intense mark making and restorative color fields to her recent cold wax works.

In past years Rosales created ceramic sculpture that often seemed to be made of iron or steel. Assured constructions with masterful metallic glazes, the works referenced connections, relationships and direction in pieces that appeared, at times as if they were remnants of an ancient process. Recently expanding the scope of his practice, he started integrating actual metal components, steel frameworks and repurposed objects to the pieces. In so doing, he quickly extended the range and scale of the work.

In addition to introducing metal elements to his ceramic sculpture, Rosales started applying paint as a deliberate element to indicate an intention or state of being for the work, in most cases that state being unfinished or in process. The paint directly alludes to one of his driving metaphors, with the work being a stand in for the practical physicality of human beings as works in progress and temporary containers for the life force or spirit. This is not a slick or easy vision, rather one that references the powerful elegance of a bone or the intrinsic beauty in a rusted pipe.

Rosales found his way to the current state of his sculpture through years of work with his hands, handling a wide variety of materials. Along the way he developed a keen sense of finish and skill alongside an appreciation of the unexpected and unpredictable fortune of unexpected results. Striving to stay present and responsive to the materials in his art practice, he embraces those moments of delightful surprise that emerge in combination with carefully considered construction. The resulting pieces embody what remains as evidence of the energy and creativity of life in process, even as the maker moves on.

Close observers of Phyllis Lasché's practice and process have noted new drama and technique.

"Lasché's transition from encaustic work to cold wax and oils has brought a maturation of both form and content. While she has always had a wonderful way with color and visual texture, this new work shows Lasché walking into deeper waters of emotion. These pieces have a raw and human quality we've not seen before. One cannot help but feel them viscerally, and one cannot help but want to touch them physically. Intense colors and gouges juxtaposed against calmer, quieter areas in the surface make the paintings feel along some spectrum of wounded, healing, and scarred."
- Jerry McLaughlin, co-author Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations

“Phyllis Lasché's evocative new series is built around the theme of wounding/healing/scarring. Her background in nursing brings authenticity and emotional depth to these abstract paintings, which combine delicate, nuanced surfaces with more aggressive scratches and scrapes. Contrasting areas of dark and light also contribute to the impact of the work. Her paintings are built up in many layers of oil paint mixed with cold wax medium, creating a history that evokes personal suffering and healing. ”
- Rebecca Crowell, co-author Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations