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“THE MANY FACES OF RICHARD GACHOT”
OPENS AT THE ART LEAGUE OF LONG ISLAND’S JEANIE TENGELSEN GALLERY ON AUGUST 28TH
| Many Faces, 1996, by Richard Gachot. Found object sculpture: oil filter, flour sifters, plumbing parts, kitchen gadgets, bike and wood wheels, and electric heater parts. |
“The Many Faces of Richard Gachot”, a major survey of the a major survey of the artist’s found object sculpture will be shown at the Art League of Long Island from August 28th through October 2nd. This exhibition brings together an extraordinary collection of major works that feature his signature style. An opening reception on Sunday, September 18th from 3:00 to 5:00 pm includes a talk by Franklin Hill Perrell of the Roslyn Landmark Society on Gachot's art.
Gachot’s works typically depict people, animals, insects, flowers, and narrative compositions arising out of groupings of such figures, all made out of found objects, altered, modified, or re-combined in unexpected ways to create the artist’s unique characters and personalities. Some pieces are kinetic, the artist having engineered them to function like machines. As both a tinkerer and a poet of unexpected juxtapositions, Gachot functions in a space between Calder and Cornell. As critic Helen Harrison once observed in a New York Times review, “Part of the fun is to recognize what the materials were before Gachot worked his magic.”
Gachot sees the potential for ordinary objects, when skillfully recombined, to signify both visual and poetic associations. He uses a wide array of items, ranging from antiques of recognizable value, vintage photos or newspaper clippings, tools, machine parts, and pieces of gadgets of all description. The capacity for “Yankee ingenuity” and mechanical invention fuses with whimsy and wit, producing works that are ironic, at times searing, indictments of common foibles, and abuses of the environment, real estate development, and recurring patterns of behavior or belief. Messages can be equally uplifting, with references to flower or nature, dance or the arts, and expressions of sentiment or affection. Through humble materials, Gachot has created a universal art that produces an original aesthetic and packs a powerful message about the varieties and context of human experience.
Gachot lives in a restored 1760 Quaker farmhouse in Old Westbury, L.I. He studied at Yale with Josef Albers and has been shown in more than 100 exhibitions. He was represented for many years by the Frank J. Miele Gallery in New York and has shown at the Outsider Art Fair. His prior exhibitions on Long Island include the Country Art Gallery and Lynda Anderson Gallery (both in Locust Valley), and the Art Gallery of SPLIA (Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities) in Cold Spring Harbor.
There will also be a related display of Gachot’s works at the Bryant Library in Roslyn, concurrent with his exhibition at the Art League.
The Art League of Long Island’s Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery is located at 107 East Deer Park Road in Dix Hills. The gallery is open to the public Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM and weekends from 11 AM to 4 PM. There is no admission charge. For more information call (631) 462-5400 or visit www.artleagueli.org.
