Betty Gerich, Artist, Painter and Sculptor

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An artist’s voice, how do they find it?

Looking at Art:

In an interview, Bruce Spingsteen was asked if all of his songs were about him. The singer-songwriter answered: “No, but they each have a piece of me in them.” He went on to say that you need to pour yourself into the song, when you are performing, in order to make it outstanding, even if your voice is not spectacular. Although he was talking about music, the same principle applies to the visual arts and to all art forms. Like our signature, our artwork reflects us as individual artists so that if we are putting our soul into the work, viewers can recognize it as our own. Do you have a favorite artist whose work you would recognize even when you see one of their pieces for the first time?

Work in the Studio:

My art often includes figures or faces which express feeling through body language of facial expression. Although the style of the work has evolved over time, even as I explore different media, there is an undefinable link between the wide range of art pieces. I can only surmise that that link is me.

Aroma Therapy Machine, bronze, 12” x 8” x 9”, includes four faces which rotate when you turn the handle. The faces have been reduced to a nose and a mouth which spin over a cup that, supposedly, holds the therapeutic elixir. The Awakening, ceramic sculpture, 18” x 15” x 6”, is a spiritual piece including the holy ghost in the form of a bird and the hand of god.