Artist explores world beyond appearances

The amplified drip of water droplets, the grating of metal against metal and the vibrations of passing traffic surround visitors to Blackbridge Hall.

Sound is the focal point of the latest Blackbridge gallery exhibit, “Reality and Appearance.” Over the course of six months, artist Ernesto Gómez has built several instruments out of found objects, and fashioned two other pieces out of discarded things, such as six-pack rings.

“Like any good sculptor, I have a very good eye and a truck, and I drive around, and when I see something I like, I grab it. I generally know when garbage pickup days are, I’ll drive around and look in certain areas for certain objects.”

Gómez is a former instructor from GCSU, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Georgia. He has returned to GCSU to show his work and gave a talk about it Jan. 21.

“Everyone’s been really welcoming and it’s good to see my old friends,” Gómez said. “I spent all last term making this body of work, so when you have something in your brain, and you bring it back to where you envision it’s going to be, it’s really a satisfying experience.”

Gómez was approached by curator Carlos Herrera last year about doing a show, and jumped at the chance, partnering with Herrera to determine what would go into the show, which will be on display until Feb. 5.

“It was really wonderful to work with somebody who was in the arts, who deals with artists, who can give me another opinion, because in grad school, all you are given is opinions, and that’s what you’re paying to do is receive opinions and feedback,” Gómez said. “Having the focus of this show really helped me.”

In this show, the role of sound is interspersed with the reusing of old materials. A part of an old 4×4 truck is mounted to the wall, with metal strings coming out of it. The other end of the gallery showcases a piece titled “Do Not Use,” made of coils of scrap wood salvaged from UGA. The piece began as a 6-foot coil and has since grown to 60 feet in length.

“Everything in this room is something that’s metal, steel, water or wood. It’s industry producing tone,” Gómez said.

While the sound of dripping water or the tones of someone playing the instruments often fills the gallery, the perception of silence is also important.

“Silence plays a big part in the work. If you listen very deeply, there’s a little hum, there’s people in the hallway, there might be a car driving by; all those things, those ambient tones and environmental tones became very important to me. They became a musical score and they became music to me.”

Sound has always been fascinating to Gómez. A “hammer,” fashioned from a nut and bolt, hangs from his key ring, where it has sat since 1993. As he walks by something that looks like it will make a good noise, he hits it with the hammer. It serves as a litmus test for materials that could be used in his work.

“If it rings a tone, and it’s available, I will take that object. I’m not stealing, it’s usually garbage or trash or something,” Gómez said. “I have certain tones I look for, certain squeaks, there’s a lot of harmonics involved.”

Gómez also explores the power of sound through his musical endeavors. He is a part-time member of Milledgeville group Voodoo Panther, and makes up one-half of the experimental duo called Coit.

Gómez encourages the viewer to interact with his work. The instruments are playable by anyone who comes into Blackbridge Hall.

“I want them to be very approachable, that’s why I erected this stage. It’s a slight step up, but hopefully that’s inviting to people to come express yourself,” Gómez said. “People are bringing life back into these objects that I have built for them to play.”

With these invented instruments, the gallery can fill with the cacophony of sound, some good and some bad. But Gómez enjoys that aspect.

“I think the beauty of inventing an instrument is that no one can play it wrong,” Gómez said.

Posted by Claire Kersey on Jan 22 2010. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry