Gerry Copas

Gerry was involved in the graphic design industry for 25 years and decided to change direction later in life and move into fine art, completing a four year Bachelor of Fine Arts at Auckland University, Elam School of Fine Arts in 2007. These days you’ll find him working in his Auckland studio.

The current focus of Gerry’s work centres around the ambiguity and the absurdity of words and phrases. Gerry says “words in my case become the object of my art. I use text and language as a vehicle for examining issues of perception and reality in relation to how we receive and communicate words. I find the physicality of the letters, such as the positive/negative spaces created by the typography also of interest from the point of abstracted shapes and mark making in general.”

He’s influenced by the works of Lawrence Weiner, Ed Ruscha, Barbara Kruger and Jenny Holzer - artists who use text in multiple ways using linguistic statements and instructions manipulated in playful ways.

Gerry uses Resene paints because of their fluidity and coverage – they relate well to the commercial signwritten style of my work. He favours Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel and find the paint adheres well onto the canvas surface giving him the control he wants during the painting process and delivers a smooth gloss finish. He uses Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for preliminary studies on card. Gerry finds waterborne products such as these are a healthier choice for him.

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