The Gift Sculpture

Gerard Russo, a Melbourne-based contemporary artist, merges hands-on craftsmanship with contemporary visual art. His foundation in mark-making and then Fine Art at RMIT University laid the groundwork for his distinctive artistic practice. Gerard's signature medium, a combination of mark-making, painting, etching, and strategic backlighting, challenges the conventional boundaries between sculpture and painting, positioning him as a part of Melbourne's flourishing contemporary art scene. In his studio, based in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria, Gerard favors charcoal drawing often to develop his extended practice where he blends materials like copper with gestural artistic techniques. This unique synthesis results in artworks that stand at the intersection of tactile craftsmanship and contemporary visual aesthetics. Each of these works, commonly illuminated, is imbued with a sense of vitality and intent. Gerard's exploration of themes such as, gravity, time, matter & awareness is further articulated through the interplay of light and shadow across metallic surfaces, introducing a dynamic adaptation to the works environment.