Big art at 8680

I was invited to display my art at Gallery 8680.  It is a lovely gallery with wonderful owners Robyn and Glenn Freehan who are part of the core arts community here in Frisco,

TX. http://www.thegallery8680.com/ 

The show presently underway is called Art en blanc 2017. 
http://www.thegallery8680.com/art-en-blanc-2017.html

Opening

The opening reception included a special visit from Frisco Mayor, Jeff Cheney who announced a special award to the gallery as the first of its kind in Frisco.  This was a monumental event and I am happy I could be a part of it. See photos from the event on the Gallery 8680 Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/gallery8680/posts/1614393608631254

This is the artist statement published in the Art en blanc show which opened September 7, 2017. 

http://www.thegallery8680.com/art-en-blanc-2017.html

Roger Belveal, sculptor

"It’s all about creating experiences."

I coined the term, TechXpressionism, to refer to art that speaks of technology and its impact on contemporary culture. 

My Favorite Machine is a series of works that celebrate our love for technology and great design while simultaneously rebelling against the slick virtual aesthetic. 

Digital themes in earthy industrial mediums is more than a refreshing break from the virtual. It also merges our experiences virtual and physical into one. Imagery from digital worlds come out from behind the glass and into our space in rugged earthly form.

We are physical creatures, alive in three dimensional space. We crave real objects that have substance and volume. We are like Alice stepping in and out of the looking glass. Our dreaming self and our waking self enjoy a casual meeting in the midst.  

Art historically speaks of the culture and times in which it is created. We are in the midst of a digital culture. Our lives have become augmented reality as surely as PokemonGo. Ubiquitous digital experiences are the new normal. 

My art speaks to this. It has been a hit among among geeky types and millennials.  I have been called the resident artist to the tech startup and design community with my art appearing in design conferences and startup offices as a tangible symbol of innovation. And I am proud to say all the really cool kids own pieces of my art.

All the really cool kids own my art!

My style of sculpture began a three dimensional interpretation of a sketch. I was studying gesture figure drawings and wanted to explore doing 3D sketches in steel. I had studied metal casting and other mediums, but had a love for sparks and flames of working directly in metal from hanging around my father’s welding shop as a child.

I have a degree in Industrial Design which is itself a hybrid of art and engineering with a focus on human factors.

My career in software design has taken me into studies of the human engagement with technology, cognitively, emotionally, and socially.  This haas been an interesting journey as I watched the digital technology escape the confines of geekdom to engulf the whole world.

I love Frisco. There is a wonderful arts community and so much opportunity to have an impact. I currently serve on the Frisco City Public Art Board.