Stephanie Gartanutti

Bio-

I began as a painter and then later turned to sculpting due to complications with Multiple Sclerosis, which had diminished her fine motor skills.

Weaving and manipulating wire into figures became therapeutic. The metal is a natural medium for the subject matter being conveyed and became the main focus of the last few decades.

I have lived and worked as an artist and curator in Philadelphia, participating in and organizing group and solo shows around the country.

Originally I had set out to make an armature for clay or papier-mache sculpture, but the metal was so satisfying I couldn't stop adding wire. It perfectly conveyed how I felt about my frenetic nervous system. This form of sculpting made visible what I could not accurately describe. I make these to chronicle what living with this disease is like for so many people.  As time goes on I have been able to create new techniques and manipulate metal without welding or painting but rather weaving, cutting, and using brute force. I have tapped into a new form of sculpting that I haven’t seen before, that continues to develop and grow with each new sculpture.

PA