Art History

On March third through April eighth sculptor Kathy Stecko exhibited her very interesting works in Mohawk Valley Community College Small Works Gallery in the Information Technology Performing Arts Conference Center on the Utica campus. On March third, she presented an art lecture: ”Figural Constructions Using the Body As Metaphor” In general, Kathy Steckos’ works in this exhibit all appear to be of everyday people of more present day.
The clues that give this impression are that there are people have swimming suits and gear on in many of the pieces. Many are in relaxed poses, some looking with their head to the side and in a contrapposto position similar to Warrior from Raice with relaxed hip poses or with slumped shoulders instead of stiff, straight poses like in the Egyptian times when only upper hierarchal persons were portrayed . The sculptures that are in a fetal position, such as Reverie, the characters in those appears to be in debilitating pain.
I’m not sure if it is physical or emotional pain but that is the impression that is gotten when I look at some of the pieces. There is almost a sense of a great sadness from a loss or losses in the sculptors life, such as in the piece of sculpture, Tremor. The expression or lack of facial expression or features and body language in the characters. It emotes a rather disturbing feeling. In the characters that are in their bathing suits or with swimming gear on in the sculpture Platform, the characters appear to be expressionless.

I would say that the sculptor is trying to portray ordinary people reacting to ordinary scenarios and people. They portray realistic characters instead of idealized characters. In the Cycladic period, the slender build of the Female Cycladic Idol from Amorgos was made with a slender build and no real pronounced features of the face that gives the impression that only the fact that it is a woman needs to be made clear, who the subject is appears to be of little importance.
In that respect, I would say that many of the subjects in Kathy Steckos’ creations are generic in the same way. They have simple features and body shapes as if to say, take note of what emotion I am trying to evoke or what I am symbolic for, not who I am. Many of the sculpture pieces of Ms. Stecko are looking to the side not toward the person viewing the piece.