I met Jerry in the early 1980s when I first moved to Chicago. Although he was only in his early thirties, he was already a successful artist. I remember a conversation from many years ago at the Richard Gray Gallery on Michigan Avenue (where he was showing). I was between sculpture commissions, somewhat frustrated at the lack of steady work as well as the difficulties of production. He was kind, patient, and encouraging. Equally, he was tough-minded about the life of an artist and the rigors of being a sculptor.

        Jerry Peart died last year at the age of 77 due to complications from a brain tumor. Jerry was born in Winslow, Arizona, and received his BFA from Arizona State University and his MFA from Southern Illinois University in 1972. Although he moved to Ashland, Virginia, in 2001, he is principally remembered as a sculptor at the forefront of the Chicago “heavy metal” movement from the 1970s through 2010.

       Starting with his early years at Construct Gallery in the 1970s, Jerry quickly made a name for himself. Construct Gallery was founded by John Henry and included a stable of other sculptors (Mark di Suvero, Kenneth Snelson, Lyman Kipp, and Charles Ginnever). The premise was that artists both manage and run their careers. Equally, the Construct Gallery artists would both place and sponsor exhibitions of large-scale outdoor works, partnering with architects, commercial real estate developers, and institutions. Although Construct had a short run, its footprint was large, as they were at the forefront of so many public works.

        In 1977, Jerry joined forces with Paul Slepak and Tom Scarff in buying an abandoned CTA power station on North Avenue and Sedgwick Street in Chicago. Considered at that time to be a tough neighborhood due to its proximity to the notorious Cabrini Green housing projects, the area still had the advantage as a prime location in relationship to the city. Sedgwick Studio had a large, cavernous interior—ideal for sculptors who specialized in monumental works. Additionally, the studio offered both living and working facilities. Although Jerry and the other two principal founders have since passed, the studio retains its vigor and swag, with a new set of owners and occupants, including the well-known public sculptor, John Adducci.

        Paralleling Jerry Peart at the time was a cadre of other heavy metal and materials sculptors in Chicago. The most prominent were Richard Hunt and John Henry, but other artists included John Adduci, Mike Baur, Michael Dunbar, Barry Hehman, Virginio Ferrari, Jerald Jacquard, Terry Karpowicz, Steve Luecking, Tom Scarff, Barry Tinsley, Steve Urry, and Bruce White, amongst others. Each artist forged their own unique identities and ways of working, and in total, contributed to a vital and visible sculpture community. In all respects, both the scale of their works and ambitions as sculptors were well suited for the “City of Big Shoulders.”

        My interest in writing about Jerry is partly to acknowledge a sculptor who might be looked upon as an artist whose time has passed. Many contemporary sculptors would probably see him more as a period piece, with work reminiscent of a horde of other artists that have worked in a similar style. But if you start where he began, you might see him through a much different lens. Creating a monumental sculpture is daunting for even the most experienced sculptor. Considering that Jerry was largely solo and creating these works at a young age, his expertise had to include design, color, fabrication, engineering, installation and painting. In today’s sculpture community, only a handful of working artists have a similar skill set.

        Jerry’s colorful painted sculptures predate Frank Stella’s later work, although both share some similarities. As a colorist, Jerry seemed influenced by Piet Mondrian, Paul Klee, Alexander Calder, and Joan Miro. Equally, the bright paint lends an automotive quality to his work, perhaps dating to the car model kits that were prevalent in the late 1950s through early 1960s. Peart’s swirly evocative forms also have a psychedelic quality, as if sculpture on an acid trip. When I look at a Peart, I see a certain exuberance and optimism as they twirl and swirl with boundless energy. They are cut and flowing painted ribbons of aluminum, with color that animated both shape and form. Perhaps some of this explains his popularity at the time, as they are fun to look at, crowd pleasing, daunting in scale, and a gestural counterpoint to the stark modernist buildings of that period.

        Of the many sculptures in his career, the two that I am most familiar with, are Blue Geisha (1985) and Falling Meteor (1975, Nathan Manilow Sculpture Garden, “the Nate”). Blue Geisha is close to O’ Hare (Bryn Mawr Avenue) and visible from both the CTA and expressway. Towering close to forty feet, it is a sculpture of immense scale, yet it possesses a delicacy and weightlessness that defies its massiveness. Jerry’s choice of largely one color, as opposed to several, was unique to this work. Blue Geisha is the perfect counterpoint to the two staid office buildings that flank it. In his oeuvre, this sculpture remains one of his most powerful and ambitious works of art.

        Falling Meteor at “the Nate” is a burst of energy, evocative of a meteor falling through the sky. Like Blue Geisha, the sculpture is mostly monochromatic, yet likes its namesake, its radiant color animates the surrounding landscape.

        Although there are numerous other notable works, Wild Flower (2011), installed at the Nicholas Conservatory I Gardens in Rockford, Illinois, is more typical of his style in that it juxtaposes abundance of color with with gestural and arabesque planes. Perfect for a conservatory, the bright dynamic colors are a stunning metaphor for the vivacious botanical life. Jerry’s vibrant palette is equally present in Morning Breeze (2003) which is installed at the entrance to the Canton Museum of Art. It is lively, gestural, and pulsates with a playful optimism. It is both exuberant and beautifully situated at the entrance to the museum. Although having a wide range of scale and form, Jerry’s sculptures are always uniquely and identifiably his own.

        If we look back to the history of Chicago art at the time, there are certainly fewer sculptors than painters that are remembered. Perhaps this is due to the difficulty of showing, moving, and storing large public works. Equally, it is harder to revisit a career, as the shear logistics of moving and shipping are challenging to many smaller institutions without both budget and space. In this regard, public sculpture gardens often become living museums for sculptors, as the work can be sited permanently. It is poignant that four of the original members of Construct Gallery are included in the collection at the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Garden, with monumental works by both Mark di Suvero and John Henry.

During his career, Jerry created thirty-five large scale works, including sculptures in five countries and thirty states. This is a remarkable achievement of both production and persistence coupled with a herculean work ethic. There are many sculptors who have followed his path, but there has only been one Jerry Peart! His contributions were many, and like the essay’s title, his work is neither “gone or forgotten.”

Neil Goodman is a sculptor formerly based in Chicago with an extensive exhibition history. Presently living on the central coast of California, he retired from Indiana University Northwest as Professor Emeritus of Fine Arts. He is currently represented by Zolla Lieberman and serving as the South-Central California Region Editor for the New Art Examiner.