Jerry Pethick
Jerry Pethick's enduring and complex body of work is the result of a lifelong quest to explore the unique possibilities of perception, and to use space as a sculptural material to evoke illusory qualities in everyday materials.
Guided by his interest in cutting-edge technology, Pethick began to work with plastics and lenticular materials in the mid-1960s. In 1971, with the American scientist Lloyd Cross, he established a holography school in San Francisco, to explore and test the limits of holographic images, which were at that time only being developed in corporate and military research. The institution was the first to offer public workshops, for which Pethick developed and patented the "sand table", a device that uses a bed of sand to match the elaborate technical demands required to create holograms, and can be home-made. In 1975, Pethick moved to Hornby Island where he lived for the rest of his life, pursuing his interest in the nature of perception, but shifting his mode of production to incorporate found objects in his sculpture. These were often sourced from the island's local re-use centre and recycling depot, and chosen for their formal, rather than utilitarian qualities: spectrafoil and other reflective materials, silicone, oven doors, window frames, Fresnel lenses, lights, saw blades, car tires, sulfur, rocks, and more.
Pethick studied art in London, UK, at Chelsea Polytechnic and the Royal College of Art, where he completed graduate studies in 1964. A major survey exhibition of his work was organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2015, and his solo exhibitions include Simon Fraser University Gallery, Burnaby (2011); Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver (2004); Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle (2000); Stadtgalerie, Saarbrücken (1994); Toronto Sculpture Garden (1993); and Vancouver Art Gallery (1984, 1979).
Creator Id: 811Virtual Collection: Original CCCA
Beginning Year: 1935
Country of Birth: Canada
Province of Birth: Ontario
Year of Birth: 1935
City: Hornby Island
Country: Canada
Type of Creator: Writer
Ending Year: 2003
Gender: Male
Living Status: Deceased
Mediums: media
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Work by Jerry Pethick
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