J.T. Gibson – Raison D’etre

 I was born in 1958. I inherited my father’s love of model airplanes and began work on numerous kits but could never finish any of them. Frustrated by having to follow directions (still a problem), I built my first successful glider from scratch and flew it off the back porch. Thus began a love affair with working with my hands and building and creating art. As a teenager, I constructed a darkroom in our basement and embarked on a journey with photography that continues today. 

 In 1977, I attended Pratt Institute, studying Photography and Sculpture. But after two years (couldn’t follow directions), I left and got part time gigs as an assistant to many New York photographers. With one – Neil Selkirk – I became the printer of the Diane Arbus work. I went on to assist in the printing of Richard Avedon’s portfolio for his first retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with master printer Randy Levensen. For five years I had a studio in New York, printing some of the greats of photography. I had a portrait show at the Small Walls gallery on the lower east side. One of my subjects was Andy Summers – guitarist for the rock band, the Police. I also printed the exhibition photos for his New York, London, Paris shows from his book of photographs, THROB.

 During all this time, I was carving stone and building small works out of cast off parts of pianos and other detritus found in the streets of Manhattan, and participating in many group shows.

 Wanting to branch out and further explore sculpture and cast bronze, I moved to Mercerville New Jersey to work at the Johnson Atelier Institute for Sculpture. There, I met many leading artists, and discovered the methods and techniques of sculptors like Joel Shapiro, Beverly Pepper, Julian Schnabel and others. I left after four years to start Gibson Design, producing architectural metal work and art furniture. Entre Libre in New York’s Soho and Agnes Bourne in San Francisco represented my bronze art furniture. I also began a long association with New York designer, Clodagh, interpreting many of her designs.

 I started experimenting with short films and writing plays. One of my full-length plays, RAGMAN’S ROLL, was a Panelist’s Choice Award winner at the Edward Albee Theater conference in Valdez and went on to be a finalist for the O’Neil Playwrights Conference.

 In 1998, tired of working with others’ ideas (following directions again) and needing a regular paycheck, I founded a decorative bronze tile business – Metaphor Bronze Tileworks - that is still producing today. I am currently the head designer, art director and sculptor for Metaphor.

 I vacationed in Maine for ten years, and it always provided great inspiration and regeneration of the spirit. In 2004, I decided to move to this great landscape and set up shop. I bought a small farm near the coast and built a studio where I pursue my large-scale work in wood and bronze.

 My work is in numerous private collections.