Gabe Scelta

"Found objects are inspiring to me because they have a history of their own. A nail through a scrap of wood or rust on old wire gives the viewer a hint that the object has a life span much like ours—with a past, present and future. There was a time when my canvases were door slats or shingles, and there will be a time when they will cease to be anything at all, but for right now, in this moment, they are communication. In the forms captured on each piece I try to convey fleeting moments—a quiet urban moment or the bridge at dusk. Each has a past and a history that is different from the moment captured, but there is only the present to explain to the viewer where it all fits.

Many found objects show me what choices to make next. Wood especially, has an organic life of its own in how it grows and then degrades over time. The pieces in this collection were salvaged from a Williamsburg building renovation and feature their local landscapes. I try to leave the objects in the same physical form as they were found, with nails, chips and holes unaltered so they can lend some direction to the content of the final piece.

When rendering a subject, I look at form in an analytical way, breaking it down first to simple shapes and colors. When looking at compositions, I look for the space between things, framing in ways that are unexpected, creating images that are always new and yet strangely familiar.
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Gabe Scelta has been drawing and painting since childhood. He holds a BFA from Boston University and an MA from the University of London. He currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. You can see more work at www.gabescelta.com or www.facebook.com/gabe.scelta.artist