34 years! (707) 933-1300 info@sculpturesite.com
34 years! (707) 933-1300 info@sculpturesite.com
Metal and Wood Gun Sculptures
Gale Hart is driven to create art that exposes the contradictions and inequities of modern life. Her work explores potent and controversial themes—animal welfare, gun violence, graffiti culture, social media, and the inherent power dynamics in professional sports—and does so with a curiosity and humor that sometimes lengthens into the absurd. A self-taught artist, Hart works across mediums, including hand drawn books, monumental paintings on canvas, highly polished sculptures in stainless steel or aluminum, and sculptures of cast concrete or bronze. She is meticulous about producing masterfully crafted finished work.
Hart’s ease in creating art from metal, wood, and paint can be traced to her childhood. Her grandfather, a car mechanic, let her play with the bolts, nuts, scrap metal, and wood in his garage. As a full-time professional artist for the past forty years, Hart has experimented with highly technical processes and fabrication techniques, solved engineering and structural challenges, and kept public commissions within budget while maintaining narrative composition and a visual vocabulary that engages the viewer.
Hart’s work can be found in private collections, museum permanent collections, including the Crocker Art Museum, California; and public spaces, including Virgin Voyages Cruise line, Italy; the Golden One Sports and Entertainment Center, California; and the Elk Grove Animal Shelter, California. Her solo and group shows include Museum of Modern Art, El Paso, Texas; Context Miami; Context New York; Spoke Art Fair; and Art Aspen.
I am driven to create work that focuses on the political and social issues of contemporary life, including the hypocrisy and injustices. Over the years I’ve made work about animals rights, gun violence, the power of games and sports in shaping our culture, and the communication challenges of being in relationships.
In dealing with subject matter that can seem so heavy, I like to incorporate a bit of sarcasm or humor into each piece, often exaggerating the absurd.
Regarding my body of work focused on firearms, I think the idea that weapons are needed to keep the peace is a disturbing concept. I wanted to explore this controversial topic in depth, so I decided to take a shot at participating in the gun culture while trying to remain receptive and detached. I began by attending a gun show and later arranged an opportunity to shoot a variety of firearms. While I understood the capability I had to keep the peace, I felt I also held the potential to simultaneously destroy it. The gun show I attended was a place where touching, holding and caressing is encouraged. This is where I witnessed gun lust first hand. My conclusion: there are no machines in the world that are so varied, so beautifully sculpted and yet equally so disturbing as firearms."
Education
Self- taught
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2022 Voss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2021 Scope art fair, Miami FL
2020 Voss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2019 Outsider Art Fair Los Angeles, CA
Start Up Art Fair, San Francisco, Ca
2014 Bash Contemporary, San Francisco, CA
Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento CA
2012 Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento CA
2009 Two-person show, Solomon-Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2008 Sculpture Show, Sculpturesite Gallery, Sonoma, CA
2006 Remember Me?, Roshambo, Healdsburg, CA
Fairy Tales, Toy Room Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Why Not Eat Your Pet, 1212 Gallery, Burlingame, CA
Why Not Eat Your Pet, Exploding Head Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Why Not Eat Your Pet, Varnish Fine Art, San Francisco, CA
2003 Small Medium, & Large and The Friend’s Project, Exploding Head Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Inside Outside, Atelier 31 Gallery, Seattle, WA
2002 Art One Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
2001 Pamela Skinner gallery, Sacramento, CA 2001 Excentrique Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2001 Zia, Berkeley, CA
2000 Excentrique Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1999 Gallery 8, Sacramento, CA
1999 Zia, Berkeley, CA
1999 Gallery 8, Sacramento, CA
1999 Auburn Art Center, Auburn, CA
1998 Excentrique Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1996 Excentrique Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1995 Studio 24, Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1995 Artistes Studio Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1994 Phantom Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2017 Ethics Excess Extinction exhibition El Paso Museum of Modern Art, TX
2015 Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, with ten472 Contemporary Art, Palm Springs, CA
2014 “Being Woman,” Sculpturesite Gallery, Sonoma, CA
2014 Context: Art Miami, with Gallery ten472, Miami, FL
2014 SOFA Chicago, with Gallery ten472, Chicago, IL
2014 Art Southampton, with Gallery ten472, NY
2011 "Animal Dreams," Sculpturesite, Sonoma, CA
2011 “Sink or Swim,” a benefit show for sharks, Spoke Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2011 “Launch,” multimedia event, Sacramento, CA
2010 “Out of the Street and Into the Cube,” 491 Geary, San Francisco, CA
2009-2010 "New Works at A New Leaf," A New Leaf Gallery, Sonoma, CA
2009 "Form and Function," A New Leaf Gallery, Sonoma, CA
2006 A Bitchin’ Space, Sacramento, CA
2006 La Luz De Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2005 The Toy Show, Studio Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2004 La Luz De Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003 La Luz De Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Artist and the Circus, Dean Jensen Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
2003 Words Left Unsaid, Center for Contemporary Art, Juried exhibition, Sacramento, CA
2003 Inside/Out, Exploding Head Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2003 Five Northern California Artists, Osceola Gallery, Emeryville, CA
2002 Conceal/Reveal, Exploding Head Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2002 The Crocker-Kinsley, 73rd Exhibition, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA
2002 "Paper, Graphite, Metal and Beyond," Excentrique, Sacramento, CA
2002 "The Big Painting Show," Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento, CA
2002 "Back in the Box II," Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento, CA
2002 "The Superhero Show," CPOP Gallery, Detroit, MI
2002 "The Circus Show," CPOP Gallery, Detroit, MI
2002 "At the Heart of Red", Exploding Head Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2001 "Humor from the Flatlands," Artist Contemporary Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2001 "Humor from the Flatlands," Sheppard Gallery, Reno, NV
2000 Trash to Treasures, Oakland CA
1998 "Solomon Dubnick Gallery," Sacramento, CA
1995 Excentrique Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1993 Michael Himovitz Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Special Projects
2008 “The 2nd Annual Circus Show & Other Atrocities," conceived, curated and directed, Verge Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2006 “A Bitchin’ Space,” conceived, directed and participated, Sacramento, CA
1998 Created Gallery 8 an alternative space for local artist
1995 Created Studio 24 an alternative space for local artist
Grants, Awards and Public Art
2023 4 sculptures for the Virgin Cruise line in Italy
2022 Additional work requested from Sacramento Kings for the Golden One Arena. Sacramento, CA
2019 Public art work for Elk Grove animal shelter, Elk Grove , Ca
2018 Crocker art museum acquired a work for their permanent collection. Sacramento, Ca
2016 Public art work, Missing the Mark, Golden One Arena, Sacramento CA
2015 Bulbs, painting on large SMUD electrical utility box Sacramento CA
Escape, steel sculpture Memorial parking garage Sacramento, CA
2012 SMUD Electrical Box Painting, Sacramento, CA
2008 Micro Grant, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, Sacramento, CA
2008 Culture & Animals Foundation Grant, Raleigh, NC
2007 Best Visual Artist, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento, CA
2004 Best of Show, Bold Expressions, Sacramento Fine Art Center, CA
2003 Juror’s Award, California State Fair, Sacramento, CA
2003 Direct Art, Spring/Summer 2003 Issue, Volume 8, 2003
2002 Best of Show, Bold Expressions, Sacramento Fine Art Center, CA
2002 Emerging Artist Grant, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, CA
1997 Award for Outstanding Artwork, Sacramento Fine Art Center, California State Fair
1996 New Works Grant, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, Sacramento, CA
Publications
2017 Sactown magazine, Make it Work, August
2016 Sacramento magazine, Coliseum as Canvas, November
Sacramento Bee, Gale Hart darts along the sharp edges of art. Oct. Sacramento, CA
2015 Under the Gum Tree magazine, Feature with 6 pages
2014 American Art Collector, "Gale Hart: Target Practice," show preview with images, September, pg. 126-127.
2014 Art Ltd. San Francisco Supplement, "Critic's Picks: San Francisco," review with image, DeWitt Cheng, May/June, pg. SF24-SF25.
2014 Hamptons Art Hub, "Ten Contemporary Artists at Art Southampton," review with image, Pat Rogers, July 28.
2007 Sacramento Bee, "Second Saturday first-timer: Our art critic tries making the rounds of midtown galleries," review, Victoria Dalkey, July 13.
2006 News & Review, "Swapping Paint: Gale Hart dares Sacramento’s visual artists to mingle with her Collaboration Project," review with images, Saunthy Nicolson-Singh, November 9
- Curve full-page article with photos, May.
2005 KTKZ News Talk 1380AM, Sacramento radio interview with James Raia, September.
2005 ART Revolutionaries Art Journal Online, review, DeWitt Cheng, October.
2005 Herbivore, cover and feature article, June pg. 20 - 25.
2005 Mom Guess What?, article, Shira Davida Goldberg, April, pg. 20.
2005 Satya, full-page article with photos, March.
2005 KSAC, Talk City 1240AM, Sacramento radio interview with Christine Craft, March.
2005 Sacramento Bee, article with images, Cynthia Hubert, March E4.
2005 DigitalCity.com Sacramento City, review with image, Brian Elsasser, March.
2005 KVIE-TV Arts Alive: Alternative Visions feature with on-camera interview, March.
2005 Sacramento Bee Sunday TICKET “critic’s pick” with image, Victoria Dalkey, February, pg. 17.
2006 Direct Art, Spring/Summer 2003 Issue, Volume 8, SlowArt Productions, New York, NY.
2006 Catalogue in the collection of the School of Visual Arts, New York, NY.
2002 Sacramento Bee, "Books, Boxes… Bravo!," review, VictoriaDalkey.
2002 Raw Vision, Summer Edition, article with image, pg. 16 & 68.
2000 Sacramento Bee, cover and feature story with photographs, Bob Sylva, October 13, pg. E1-E3.
1999 Auburn Journal, feature article with photograph, August 12.
1998 ArtWeek, photograph, inside front cover, July.
1998 Sacramento Bee, "Introductions!," review, Victoria Dalkey, July, pg. 8.
1998 Sacramento News & Review, "Introductions," review, July 18.
1993 Sacramento Magazine, Feature on Local Functional Artist with image, March, pg. 47-48.