Looking Around: Kathy Stecko

Last year, I participated in ArtPrize, a radical and overwhelming art competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was extremely fortunate to exhibit my entry, "Rag Rug", in the Grand Rapids Art Museum in the company of many excellent artists. Though I did not win any of the amazing cash awards, I continue to reflect on the experience.

While I was at ArtPrize, I took many photos of works that inspired me. Now, though six months have passed, I am still thinking about some of those works. On my mind lately is "Dreamscape" by Kathy Stecko, a Brooklyn based artist.

My photos pale in comparison to the great shots on her website. The first photo I took myself at ArtPrize; the rest posted here are reposted from http://www.kathystecko.com/. 

What attracts me to this work in particular is the way the minimal forms manage to be so expressive. Stecko leaves plenty of room for me to project my visions on and ask questions of her figures. The simple white forms, each on their own shelf, are isolated and alone while still connected to each other by the wall and the overlapping shadows. I can imagine chance interactions, conversations between strangers, and  even relationships happening between the figures. In our increasingly connected and simultaneously detached world, this piece makes me think about my interactions with others and the ever changing network in which I exist.

Kathy Stecko has many other intriguing works on her site. Take a look....you won't be disappointed.