Studio Visit with Peter Reginato

Last Friday while in NYC, I visited the studio of sculptor Peter Reginato (One Word Project here). This was the first artist studio I've seen in NYC and I must admit, I was blown away. Reginato is an accomplished sculptor who has been active in the art world for about 40 years. His work is fun, colorful and loose. At the same time, it's determined. Sometimes wide horizontal landscapes, other times tall monuments, Reginato's work shimmers with vitality. Made from heavy metals, the sculptures' coloration defies the weight and makes the work float. Take for example the following two images:

Polles Creek
Steel, Insl-tron paint
2' x 12' x 11'
2003

Salmon Hill
Steel, Insl-tron paint
29" x 47" x 49"
2003

Located in SoHo, Reginato's studio/living space, while not enormous, was some 5 or 6 times the size of my apartment. The work space was large enough to do welding and fabricating of large sculptures, plus ample room to display several large finished sculptures. Reginato's living space, located behind the studio, was something to behold. Displayed are numerous collections; from lunchboxes, to toys, to wallclocks, etc. It was a fascinating living space and it fit to a tee what I expected a New York artist's loft to look like. I only hope that Reginato's two children (11 and 14) appreciate the unique environment in which they live.

Reginato is a facinating person who is filled with stories and experience. Our two hours together flew by and it set my day of art viewing in NYC on the right course. I then went to Chelsea for a quick gallery crawl and then to MoMA. I'll be writing about these next.

I sincerely believe that although Reginato has experienced a great deal of success throughout his career, we will be hearing more from him in the years to come. His work provides a relief from all of the concept-heavy and brooding work that abounds today. There's always room for color.

Installation shot of several works

To learn more about Peter Reginato I recommend reading his artist statement.

Thanks for letting me visit Peter!

Comments

[wwc]

These are really cool. Thanks for writing about his space too - over at woostercollective.com they're showing artist's work spaces too and I think it's fascinating. My space is such a mess....

[J.T. Kirkland]

Yeah, I wish I had a digital camera to take some images of the space. It sure beats my half-bedroom space. For drawing (like you Warren) it might be OK. For woodwork, well, that makes things tight.

It was a great experience though!

[Joseph Barbaccia]

This is a good idea. If you really want to laugh, how about i send in some shots of my Workshop?

[J.T. Kirkland]

Send them to me. You can't be as cramped as I am!!

[Martin]

Nice work! Lots of Giacometti, Matisse, and Picasso - fresh and reinvigorated. Thanks for the introduction.

[J.T. Kirkland]

No sweat, Martin. It was my pleasure... literally.