Charles Hecht, Organically Speaking
Joan Grove
Charles Hecht is a wonderful sculptor who has been exhibiting for years throughout the States, China and Spain. In September of 2005, the artist switched caps and curated a group show of his contemporaries titled "Organically Speaking." The four artists represented–Harry Gordon, Richard Polo, Michelle Greene and Hecht–each presented works made of organic materials such as metal and wood, with a few hints of the synthetic, which conjure up shapes and organisms found naturally.
"Organically Speaking" was a successful gathering of minds, the resulting aura within the gallery combined the solidarity of granite, the wisdom and age of wood, the underwater slippery smooth flow of glass. The energy of each work communicated well with the other works on display, and the exhibit worked cohesively.
Hecht premiered his "Coral Sea Segment" series at the show. The series fuses metal and glass in a manner that is unique in its concept and execution. Hecht is a scuba diver and was inspired to create abstract renderings of what he experiences below the surface. The sculptures are his interpretation of the visual distortion one experiences while viewing underwater life. The metal inner core of the sculpture resembles alien-like sea creatures. Some have jagged teeth, others dozens of legs to crawl upon the ocean floor. Some seem delicate, others menacing. Over this metallic crab, sea slug or portion of coral, Hecht works a smooth globule of glass that feels fluid and protean.
By exhibiting these works over a light box, one can really focus on the inner form and see with clarity the wondrous specimen of Hecht’s imagination. It also allows one to investigate the sculpture from different angles and understand his original intent: from each vantage point, the small shifts of the glass allow the light to peek through in new and exciting ways, just as one would experience just below the water’s surface.
