Gerda Lattey – Artist Spotlight

ED: Gerda first showed up on our radar when she attended the Hand Carving Retreat at Pack Forest this spring. She then came to the summer workshop at Camp Brotherhood and is now a bona fide ‘Nwissa’ Stoner. Her energy seems boundless and her sculptures are intriguingly beautiful.

SN: Who are you?
GL: I’m Gerda Corona Lattey and I was born in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada . I am currently living on Saltspring Island about 25 miles north of Victoria, Vancouver Island.

SN: What is your life history as it relates to being an artist?
GL: I began my life in BC’s Okanogan Valley. My parents tried the dysfunctional hippie thing for a while, with no running water or electricity in a tiny community. Because I was raised with no television or obvious trappings I may have developed unique observation skills.

SN: Why did you become an artist?
GL: I have a deep need to express myself creatively. For me it’s like exercise; I become unhappy if I’m not being creative.

SN: What key life experiences affected your direction in art?
GL: Being a parent has helped  me grow immeasurably as a person. I think that becoming a whole person is what makes you a successful being, and my art reflects personal growth and experiences. I also read and pay attention, media-wise, to world events and I find I am consistently and deeply affected  by the hardships people face but more importantly, I find  inspiration in their ability to persevere and find laughter despite what they have been given.

SN: Who or what has influenced your art form?
GL: I’m self taught and know very little about art. I intentionally left that area of study alone so I could acquire my own sense of style, now that I’ve done that I’m ready to open my eyes and learn more about my craft.

SN: Why is art important to you?
GL: Art makes us feel without explanation. It stirs our somnolent souls, opens doors to our minds that we long ago had boarded up.

SN: How does your art reflect your philosophy?
GL: I believe in the freedom to be truly oneself. To be able to indulge others in your opinions, passions and ideas as long as they are not degrading or harmful. I can only hope that my art is somewhat reflective of that.

SN: How has NWSSA influenced your work as an artist?
GL: The people in NWSSA are the most unique, kind, generous group of people I have ever met. They have shown their unabashed support of me as a person and as an artist and I feel privileged to be a member of such a rare organization.

SN: How do you get your ideas?
GL: Sometimes the ideas come once I start into the stone and other times I have a plan. My ideas really come from within or I may just want to try something I have never done before. I like taking risks, pushing myself and the stone to a metaphorical edge.

SN: How do you develop them (by direct carving, drawing, modeling, etc)?
GL: The abstract pieces are achieved by direct carving which often takes more time than planning because I never know which way the piece is going to go. The more representational works are planned, researched, thought out and measured, usually mapping out on the piece itself.

SN: What is the source of inspiration for your forms, your language, or your imagery
GL: In my abstracts I’m inspired by nuance. I love the quiet subtle strengths that my planet has to offer and my work reflects those moments. The more representational pieces are language based, I suppose. I’m usually trying to convey the things we choose not to talk about.

SN: What are you trying to express
GL: At times I am literally just ‘playing’ with the stone. I am finding light, symmetry, movement and the harmony of what the stone has to offer. Other times there is more emotional or even political depth. I always want people to think and open their minds but I would prefer that they come up with their own ideas when looking at my work.

SN: Do you work part or full time as an artist?
GL: Part- time, for now.

SN: What stones do you prefer?
GL: I don’t have stone bias. Although I prefer stones that aren’t overly busy. I’ve just had a big run on Chlorite and enjoy its rich, black, solid nature. I’m excited about a creamy piece of Onyx next.

SN: What is your working process – do you do one piece at a time or do you have several in process at once?
GL: I usually do one at a time but right now I have three works in progress.

SN: Where do you exhibit your work?
GL: I exhibit here on Saltspring Island and am also a member of The Sculptors Society of BC. We do two shows a year. I put my work in various juried shows and have a few more galleries on the horizon.

SN: How much work do you complete in a year?
GL: Perhaps ten sculptures depending on the size.

SN: Do you teach art?
GL: I’ve been teaching kids on softer stone. It’s really enjoyable; they get in a kind of artistic frenzy. Watching them carve offers an interesting insight into what makes people creative and who those people are.

SN: What scale or size do you work in, and do you have a favorite scale?
GL: Right now I work on stone up to about 300lbs, I would like to do larger scale work. It’s just a matter of acquiring the lifts etc.

SN: How is your work area set up?
GL: I have a very messy little studio that looks out on the water. I do all my carving there and move outside for final sanding and polishing. Natural light just offers so much more and a change in venue allows me to see the piece with a clearer vision. Also I am in the process of setting up another area for larger work nearby.

SN: What have been your satisfactions in your life as an artist?
GL: I feel so privileged to be able to create. It really is an honorable profession. It is nice to be recognized as an artist of worth a little bit, have the freedom as a woman to create and as a lucky Canadian to do this specialized endeavor.

SN: What obstacles and challenges have you overcome?
GL: Time and money are the biggest obstacles. I’m a terrible self-promoter, and I’m working on that. Being a mom takes up most of my time and money.

SN: What are you looking forward to (goals, commissions, new ideas, flights of fancy)?
GL: I just hope my body stays strong and healthy enough for me to continue to create. Unfortunately we live in a monetary based society so money falling from the sky would be nice. I feel like I’m at the start of the upward curve.

SN: Any final words:
GL: Yes, thanks for taking the time to look and listen.

Catchup with Gerda: