David Gignac - sculptor 

David Gignac’s steel sculptures are made of found, forged, and fabricated steel, which; the artist explains, character much like an aging person’s face develops a rich character through life experiences. His sculptures depict industrial and agricultural installations and factories which he juxtaposes with kitchen teapots, creating a whimsical twist and an almost nostalgic feeling.

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David states: “My entire life has been filled with creating, from the time I first learned to draw, to this day. I work in many materials, processes and modes. Starting out when I was young I explored primarily 2D, drawing, painting and design. In college I focused more on sculpture and mixed media employing metal fabrication and glassblowing. For me the joy and excitement is often more about the process of making than the final product.

The teapot series that most people recognize in my work was initially born out of a desire to create an artifact, something with an inherent sense of history. Working with found steel materials with their surfaces rife with scars and blemishes helped instill that history. I found I liked the gritty expressive textures more than shiny new finishes. Wire brushing and burnishing the repurposed materials, highlighting their defects all added to the final product. Employing traditional blacksmithing techniques with modern welding adds additional layering and craft notes to the pieces. A sense of mystery and intrigue “what are these objects?” is much of what I was after.

He continues: “As my vocabulary of form, materials and process I have grown with the teapot series, the content of the work has moved from the teapot as a form in and of itself to what it can be and represent. I have borrowed cues from Yixing pottery where the teapot form becomes a canvas for other imagery, trees, rocks, landscape and architecture. This has allowed me to explore my love of industrial forms, architecture, mechanisms and machines in the form of the teapot. 

My recent move to Eastern Washington has fueled new work. I am surrounded by beautiful agricultural structures that rise like skyscrapers in the middle of rolling farm land. Much of the process is trying to discover what it is about these structures that moves me so. That is where the joy lies in my exploration.”

Gignac, originally from upstate NY, has made Whidbey Island and now Eastern Washington his home since 1991. Born and raised in Alfred, NY, he studied art, design and sculpture at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University majoring in Sculpture with a focus in hot glass and metal fabrication while also receiving a minor in theatrical design.

If you have questions about David Gignac's sculptures,
please contact the gallery at 360-222-3070 or 800-858-5063.