THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 30, 1995 TAG: 9507270209
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 40 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Mary Ellen Riddle
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
You could call 44-year-old Brian Gibson a jack-of-all-trades.
He's owned several sub shops, operated a family miniature golf course and a convenience store, decorated cakes, built ``turn-key'' houses and painted interiors and exteriors.
Of course, the famous phrase suggests that a jack-of-all-trades is actually a master of none.
But in Gibson's case, you'd have to change the last line to something more fitting: He's a master of wire.
When he's not painting, Gibson turns scrap wire into whimsical sculptures. Some of his friends tease him about his sculptural endeavors, saying all he does is bend wire, but what this Kill Devil Hills man can do with industrial scraps is incredible, and the public is enthused by his Pop Art.
A wiry man himself, the long-haired Gibson gets much of his wire from friends who drop work scraps in his front yard. He claims discarded scraps at his work site and has even been known to take a hot tar mop and mold it into an abstract work of art. Painted gold, the tar mop is transformed into a cavernous shape with a multitude of swirling nooks and crannies.
His figurative works have energy. Because you can see through them, given the nature of wire and hardware cloth, you feel like you're staring into the inner workings of the human form.
The linear quality of wire and the repetitive pattern of wire cloth, especially when it's wrapped and bent to represent something emotional rather than inert, lend motion to the sculptures and hence to life.
Gibson's work also represents the everyday object as art. His gallon of paint with brush is remarkable. Red paint oozes from the brush that rests on top of the perfectly formed and painted can. His wire five-gallon ``recyclables'' bucket is filled with bottles and cans also fashioned from wire.
The inside of discarded jumper cables is a mecca for copper wire that finds its way into Gibson's sculptures. A piece of leftover screen door guard becomes a turtle. A ``wiry'' Frank Zappa performs from Gibson's bookcase. A 12-piece wire drum set about seven inches tall represents the kit Gibson always wanted.
A faded copper rose speaks of love passed, but life still moving forward. Wire female legs delicately formed and painted hot pink stretch skyward from its base. Metal flashing forms huge sunglasses that are painted red with an endless road filling in the lenses. Three black metal birds fly across Gibson's white walls.
Color plays a big role in transforming wire into art. Gibson may change the color of any piece countless times, running from his studio to the roof to do so. He's been known to go to bed, only to jump up and run and change the color of one of his works.
When it's right, it's right. ``You paint that a color and it totally changes,'' he said.
Change is a key word for Gibson these days. His work history outlines his work ethic - long hours. ``I'm not afraid of work,'' he said. He acknowledges it's only recently that he's shaken the guilt he's felt about creating art, being used to fast-paced, tourist-related businesses.
The Rutgers graduate, in accounting no less, admits to taking art in college as a way to meet girls.
``I realized, wow, you really got to do something here,'' he said. ``Once I hit sculpture, that was it.''
For several years he did independent studies under John Gianotti.
But even after the revelation that he enjoyed art, he still went into the sub shop business.
Today, life has a slower pace for Gibson. The family sandwich shop has been sold, and he has more time to devote to sculpture.
Many of his pieces are in the possession of friends. He enjoys giving his work away, but will not mass produce. His wire business-card holder of a ``woman of the evening'' leaning against a basket, he says, reminds him not to prostitute his art for money.
But Gibson may find the pressure to duplicate his work is too great, as more and more people are exposed to his finely crafted and utterly delightful work.
ARTPARK is happening at 10 a.m. every Wednesday behind the Christmas Mouse at Milepost 10 1/2 in Nags Head. Artists are invited to work on their craft, and apprentices can view local and national artists demonstrating techniques.
Painters renowned in their field participate, and signed prints are available in the Morales print shop. This is a great opportunity to ask questions of some leading artists.
On Thursday, two local watercolorists will hold open classes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Artists Chris Haltigan and Pat Trioni welcome your participation.
Don't miss out on the fabulous ``Earth Drummers,'' folks hailing from all over the Outer Banks who will perform rain dances accompanied by Native American drumming. The event begins at 6 p.m. every Wednesday. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY ELLEN RIDDLE
Artist Brian Gibson, 44, of Kill Devil Hills, turns scrap wire into
whimsical sculptures.
by CNB