My sculptures address human gesture with a minimalist appearance of an anthropomorphic form. The works are elongated shapes portraying heads with two eyes positioned to denote human emotions or actions such as shame, failure, resignation, drowning, or submission. They are made of wood, typically maple, and turned on a wood lathe. The turning is intuitive as there is no specific shape in mind. Every piece is intended to have a particular stance, form, and size to convey an emotion or action. They are finished with black aniline dye, polished with dark paste wax to a warm luster. This process simultaneously denies the nature of the material, while letting it become discovered.

A continuing interest of mine is the way in which humanity creates a context by using contradictions to explain and understand the world, life’s circumstances, and emotional relationships. The element of opposition is an essential aspect throughout my body of work. Whether through my use of primary colors or monochrome colors; the focus on simplicity to heighten the complexity of the work; or the interrelationships created by compositional elements between the work and the viewer, all contribute to this expression.

Gary was born in Wyandotte, Michigan in 1953. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a Master of Fine Arts from Yale University School of Art in New Haven, Connecticut.

Kret’s paintings become imbued with a life beyond the ordinary. There is an ambiguous quality to the still-life, resembling that of the known world with an element of abstraction. Kret’s sculptures, turned from maple blocks and stained with black aniline dye and finished with paste wax are a representation of human gestures with a minimalist appearance of an anthropomorphic form. Their simplicity provides high aesthetic value and a moral perception that explores the nature of truth and reveals the inner qualities and essence of the materials.