Voss Gallery presents “Sic,” a solo exhibition of abstract paintings and bronze and steel sculptures by Gale Hart that were created during lockdown in response to the pandemic and America’s political meltdown.

The exhibition is on view March 3-28, 2021. A virtual exhibition preview will be held on Instagram Live (@vossgallery) on Wednesday, Mar. 3rd at 6PM PST. Join us for a VIP Collectors event at the gallery on Friday, Mar. 5th 5-9PM to enjoy the first viewing of the exhibition in an elevated and fun environment. Gallery hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 12-6PM or by appointment; face covering required and social distancing enforced. We are closely following the situation with COVID-19 via the CDC and SF Department of Public Health and will share any updates on our website, newsletter, and social media channels.

The evolution of an ongoing series, Hart's latest sculptures are more ambitious inscale and complexity of materials. In the context of the studio, the spray can is simply one tool among many. Here, they are magnified in scale and covered with a colorful fusion of gestures and images from abstraction to Pop Art and graffiti. Twisted and bent, the cans appear to be crushed, suggesting their emptiness and demise as a useful tool. But a can is not just a can—their grand scale and sensual folds reference classic definitions of sculpture. The process of experimentation andfine tuning reflects an unwavering interest in the impact of form that aligns Hart’s work with earlier masters in the tradition of sculpture. Merging technical mastery, Pop Art and contemporary street vocabulary is her way of examining the historical tradition of multiple mediums. The bronze hoods are mini monuments to the street artist. They started out as knit beanies, a symbol of toughness meant for concealing the identity of the artist bombing pieces under cover. The beanie is iconic street wear, uniform of artists, athletes, the hip and the hardworking. However, in the midst of the pandemic and civil uprising the hoods became more ominous as the alchemy of fabric to metal turned more evocative of a reflection on masking and protection. Deep in isolation, pandemic and political meltdown, what began as a journey into abstract painting evolved into visceral gestures of coiled, arteries that pulse and slide out of frame.

“While we focus on differences and issues, in the end we all are made up of the same tissues. We are precious and vulnerable.” —Gale Hart

GALE HART (b. Lansing, Michigan, 1956) is a self-taught artist based in Sacramento, CA. Her work primarily focuses on the political and social issues of contemporary life, to include the hypocrisy and injustices of this country. She has shown at Context Miami, FL; Context New York, NY; The Los Angeles Art Show, CA; and Art Aspen, CO; and exhibits nationally. Since 2012, Gale has received over five public art commissions for the city of Sacramento, CA and recently completed a major commission for the city of Elk Grove, CA.