Begun during the pandemic, Gent’s recent work developed through a meditative, open-ended studio practice rooted in childhood memories of making toothpick constructions while staying with his maternal grandmother. Inspired by the sandcastles he built along the Atlantic shore as a child, he uses techniques of dripping, layering, and building up surfaces, creating textures and visual qualities of each form. These works extend his practice of gathering and transforming found materials, inviting viewers to reconsider the ethereal beauty within ordinary objects.
Jeffrey Gent earned his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After 17 years in Los Angeles, he moved to Landers, California and has been working there for the last 9 years.