bob sestok
DETROIT, MI

Early in my career the 'downtown' experience inspired deconstructivist methods for creating art. People were using found objects and other non-traditional materials in their work, tearing things apart and reconstructing them, processes that harmonized with the reality of the Cass Corridor in the 60s and 70s, and in fact still does today. This period had a profound influence on my approach to art that is particularly apparent in my sculptural work.

I began to investigate the influence of our surroundings on our daily lives in my work. I still spend a lot of time shifting between reality and abstraction looking for 'missing links' to expand this allegorical construct of conjoined figure/environment/abstraction.

For my sculptures, I use positive cuts for the figure (a silhouette representing Man) and negative cuts to express architecture (environmental space and its baggage). Welded metal works for this, takes me physically and spatially into the metaphor ... making different objects connect ... that's why I like welding. There's also a specific kind of permanency that comes with the way welded steel withstands the elements, giving extended life to the work.

Painting is about the edges, surface, content and theory. It's like a reflection of one's soul. A good painting will hold your attention for some mysterious reason. I keep painting for more than enjoyment. It's my way of seeing. It's my life.

Purity is only relevant to the environment in which it exists.