Steven Derks

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Artist Statement

Finding and collecting curiosities in thrift stores and junkyards is a lifelong

preoccupation and a passionate experience for me, rather like going to church. Three or

four times a month I visit one of Tucson's four junkyards. I walk around alone, looking at

the forlorn piles of bent, twisted and rusted metal lying all over the place. Now things

start to happen very fast; everywhere I look I begin to see metal transformed into

finished sculptures.

Most of my sculptures are conceived right there in the scrap metal yards where I find

both the vision and the ingredients for my work. I just see a piece of metal and

immediately imagine the completed sculpture it suggests. Most of the time, during one

visit I am able to locate all of the actual metal parts that will be necessary to complete

many sculptures, but occasionally an exciting piece of rusted metal will languish in my

studio yard for months, waiting for the day I will find the piece or pieces that are

missing.

I like the immediacy of welding; it is glue that sets up rapidly, in seconds. This makes

metal become either plastic or rigid. But I never bend or cut the metal I use. This self-

imposed limitation forces me to respond to the object as it actually is. My art lies in

the assemblage, not the cutting and shaping of its individual parts.

I like my work to remain unfinished, even when I have carried out my initial vision for

it. I resist signing the work for this reason. If it remains unsigned, it is a piece in

process, and more things can continue to happen to transform it after it is sold.

Co-incidentally I hate to say goodbye either to my work or to people. The work and human

relationships always have the potential for new life, and more redemption. I always expect

that.

Making art allows me to have a spiritual and a psychological life without being directly

involved in any theology or ideology. Through art I can engage my life deeply, and can

impact other people's lives through how they experience my work.

The Catholic Apostle Jude is a figure of special significance to me, and to my work. The

patron saint of a small Tarahumara Indian village in Mexico, his life was the

manifestation of betrayal and redemption, twin themes that are central to my own

experience.

When I discard something, I betray it. When I find it, conceive a vision of it renewed,

and make art from it, I redeem it. All objects have the potential to be redeemed through

art, to be transformed through human vision. So do all people. If a person were to be

discarded like a piece of rusted steel, it would be a profound experience. But if it

happens to an object, everyone takes it to be insignificant. I can't accept that. Art

makes my own personal redemption possible.

-Steven G. Derks

Education

1996 Tucson Museum of Art Mentor Program

Desert Crucible-Tucson

Arizona Internship

1993 Tucson Museum of Art-Art Training Workshops

1992 Arizona Commission of the Arts-Arts Business Training

1979 Pima Community College-Arts

Exhibitions

2009 Flux Gallery Tucson AZ.

Gallery 801 Tucson AZ.

Shidoni Gallery Santa Fe NM.

Noel Baza San Diego CA.

Coda Gallery Palm Desert CA.

2008 Phoenix Gallery, Park City UT.

Shidoni Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

Tangerine Gallery, Tucson, AZ.

Grogan Gallery, Tucson, AZ.

Coda Gallery, Palm Desert, CA.

Twist Gallery, Bisbee, AZ.

Trios Gallery, Solana Beach, CA.

Gallery 801, Tucson, AZ.

Hacienda Del Sol, Tucson, AZ

2007 Shidoni Gallery, Santa Fe, NM.

Gallery 801, Tucson, AZ

Tangerine Gallery, Tucson, AZ.

Grogan Gallery, Tucson, AZ.

Coda Gallery, Palm Desert, CA.

Arte-Misa Gallery, Sedona, AZ.

Treos Gallery, Solana Beach, CA.

Adorn Gallery, San Diego, CA.

Twist Gallery, Bisbee, AZ.

Liz Hernandez Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ

2006 Shidoni Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

Grogan Gallery, Tucson, AZ.

Coda Gallery, Palm Desert, CA.

Tros Gallery, Solana Beach, CA.

Adorn Gallery, San Diego, CA.

2005 Shidoni Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

Liz Hernandez Gallery, Tucson, AZ.

Art House, Silver City, NM

Gallery Urbane, Silver City, NM

Coda Gallery, Palm Desert, CA.

2oo4 Shidoni Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

Gallery Urbane, Silver City, NM

Liz Hernandez Gallery, Tucson, AZ

Coda Gallery, Palm Desert, CA.

Hacienda Del Sol, Tucson, AZ

Tupolo Rd. Gallery, Taos, NM

2003 Shidoni, Santa Fe, NM

Redeemed Art Gallery, Tucson, AZ

Dinnerware, Tucson, AZ

Gallery Urbane, Silver City, NM

2002 Dinnerware, Tucson, AZ

Gallery Urbane, Silver City, NM

Redeemed Art Gallery, Tucson, AZ

Shidoni Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2001 3Falk Gallery, Tubac, AZ

Shidoni, Santa Fe, NM

Dinnerware, Tucson, AZ

Lanning Gallery, Sedona, AZ

2000 Moxley Ross, Santa Fe NM

Obsidian Gallery, Tucson, AZ

1999 Coda Gallery, Palm Desert, CA

The Select Art Gallery, Sedona, AZ

1999 D.C. Harris Gallery, Tucson, AZ

Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ

1999 Tohono Chul Gallery, Tucson, AZ

Phantom B. of A., Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AA.

1997 Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ

Apparatus Gallery, Tucson, AZ

Dallas Market Center, Dallas, TX

1997 The Select Art Gallery, Sedona, AZ.

1996 Apparatus Gallery, Tucson, AZ

Debra Hudgens Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ.

Susanne Brown Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ

Karen Newby Gallery, Tubac, AZ.

1994 Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ

1993 Expo Chango, Tucson, AZ

1991 Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ

Karen Newby Gallery, Tubac, AZ

Feathers Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ

1990 Sun West Gallery, Prescott, AZ

Selected Publications and

Arizona Daily Star

Arizona Illustrated News Magazine

Art in America

Art Life

Art Now Gallery Guide

Art Talk

Compendium Magazine

Desert Leaf

Gallery Guide

New Mexico Magazine

Oracle Magazine

Sedona Magazine

Southwest Art Magazine

Southwest Profile Magazine

Sunset Magazine

The Magazine

The Santa Fean

Tucson Citizen

Tucson Guide

Tucson Weekly

Tucson Home

Corporate Collections

AMCEP Metals, Steven Kipper, Tucson, Az.

American Heart Association, Tucson, AZ.

Beyond Bread, Restaurant, Tucson, AZ

Big Brothers Big Sisters, Tucson, AZ

Cafe Terra Cotta, Tucson, AZ

Caterpillar Memorial, Tucson, AZ

Davis Bilingual School, Tucson, AZ

DeGrazia Foundation, Tucson, AZ

Dell Webb, Tucson, AZ

Gallery Golf Resort, Marana, AZ

Hacienda Del Sol Resort, Tucson, AZ

Mertis, Scottsdale, AZ

Microsoft, Seattle, WA

P.A.C.T. for Life, Tucson, AZ

Phantom Project, Bank of America, Tucson, AZ

Print Expressions Inc., Tucson, AZ

R.A.S., Tucson, AZ

Regal Company, Inc., Sonora, Mexico

Sterling Institute of Men s Studies, Oakland, CA

Streich Lang, Tucson, AZ

Switch and Data, Tucson, AZ

Tucson Art District Partnership, Tucson, AZ

Tucson Botanical Gardens, Tucson, AZ

Triumph Builders, Tucson, AZ

Boran Properties, Tucson, AZ

Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ

UMC Cancer Center, Tucson AZ

President Bill Clinton, The White House, Oval Office,

Washington, DC

Mercury Records, Nashville, TN

Honorarium & Awards

1999 University of Arizona

2000 Deer Valley Airport

Community Foundation

Tucson Arts District Partnership Artist of

The Year

2003 Arizona Governor s Arts Award2008 Artist in Residence Biosphere II, Oracle, AZ.

Private Collections

Anderson, Andy, Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ

Boswell, Don, Collector, Tucson, AZ.

Broan, Joyce, Collector, Tucson, AZ.

Brown, Thomas, Architect

Chambers, Susan, Tucson, AZ

Cheik, Sao, Collector, Seattle Wa.

Christensen, Karen, Tucson, AZ.

Collier, Roger Attorney at Law & Carol, Tucson, AZ

Coris, Len and Doris, Collectors, Tucson, AZ.

Dantzler Bill, Barbara, Tucson AZ

Dashew, Linda & Skip, Tucson, AZ

De Augostino, Judith, Artist, Tucson, AZ.

Drachman, Lorraine, Tucson, AZ.

Dudley, John & Diane, Creative Endeavors Fine Art, Rockwell, TX

Eglin, Evan, Santa Fe, NM & Tucson, AZ

Fishman, Norm, Collector, Tucson, AZ

Frank, David, Collector, Santa Fe, NM

Frank, Elizabeth, Artist, Tucson, AZ.

Gardner, Nancy & Kirkland, Tucson, AZ

Gerard, Don and Eugenia, Collectors, Tucson, AZ./San Diego, Ca.

Gilley, Ron and Mary, Collectors, Durango CO.

Goldman, Lucy, Collector, San Diego, Ca.

Gorriarena, Carlos, Zaragoza, Spain

Guerrero, Louis, Guadalajara, Mexico

Hancock, Jory and Melissa, Director of the School Dance, University of Arizona

Hernandez, Liz, Collector, Scottsdale, AZ.

Hilger, Ludwig, Frankfurt, Germany

Himelic, Ana, Collector, San Diego, Ca.

Hilton, Lee and Peggy, Collectors, Tucson, AZ.

Johnson, Peggy, Loft Theater, Tucson, AZ,

Kidd, Billy, Collector, Tucson, AZ.

Krzyzawski, Stan, Collector, Tucson, AZ.`

Lace, Steve and Sue, Collectors, Tucson, AZ.

Lanning, Peggy, Owner, Lanning Gallery, Sedona AZ

Laria, Don, Cafe Terra Cotta, President Tucson Museum of Art

Lehrer, Cy, Attorney at Law, Tucson, AZ.

Litvack, Elaine and Jules, Collectors, Tucson, AZ.

Marcus, Angelo, Eagle Arts, La Jolla, CA

Miller, John Wesley, Collector, Tucson, AZ.

Miller, Tom and Barbara, Collector s San Diego, Ca.

Molotsky, Barbara, Collector, Tucson, AZ.

Morillo, Luptia, KVOA, Reporter

Murry, Steve and Maxine, Collectors, Tucson, AZ.

Nathensen, Jerry & Thelma, Tucson, AZ

Nelson, Linda & Stewart, Tucson, AZ

Neyraud, Anne & Jean Paul, La Fouillouse, France

Oliver, Samual, London, England

Pan, Solomon and Rose, Architect, Tucson, AZ.

Pashkow, David and Cookie, Collectors, Tucson, AZ.

Pergam, Carl & Jeannette, Vancouver, Canada

Powell, Andrew, Ottawa, Canada

Pray, James, Collector, Tucson, AZ.

Ritter, Mel, President Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ

Redford, Robert, Sundance, UT

Robinson, Linda, Robinson Shades, Tucson, AZ

Rosenquist, Charles & Peg,, Tucson, AZ

Rubin, Rochelle, Rochelle Rubin Design, Tucson, AZ

Ryan, Pam and Randy, Collectors, Tucson, AZ

Sabbagh, Adib Dr. and Vivi, Collectors, Tucson, AZ.

Schaefer, John & Helen, President University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Schop, Derek, DMD, Collector, Tucson, AZ.

Seaver, Douglas, Architect, Tucson, AZ

Sevigny, Maurice, Dean University of Arizona Art School

Shorr, Cye, Attorney at Law, Tucson, AZ.

Skidmore, David, Collector, Tucson, AZ.

Slavin, Marjorie, Collector, Tucson, AZ.

Soloway, Rick, Architect

Sosnow, Dr. Rick and Phyllis, Collectors, Tucson, AZ.

Spitzer, Eric C.P.A. Tucson, AZ.

Spivac, Rica & Harvey, President Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ

Sternberg, Mitch, Tucson, AZ

Su-Wen, Chang, DDS, Tucson, AZ

Timan, Jeff, Collector, Tucson, AZ.

Wagner, Karen & Ron, Dallas, TX

Wells John, Tucson, AZ

Wetterscheider, Larry, Tucson, AZ

Williams, Owen, Collector, Tucson, AZ.

Wooten, Mary Ellen, Collector, Tucson, AZ.

# 1 I learned the mass in latin then had to relearn it in english the next year. I still

hold a resentment.

# 2 Most Sundays; as a young kid I would suck wine thru a garden hose from an oak barrel.

# 3 Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band became my new religion that summer.

# 4 I saved $8,000.00 while working as a busboy, hoping to buy a farm after high school.

I realized that it was beyond my means so I bought a house instead. I still want to be a

farmer when I grow up.

# 5 I hitchhiked halfway across the country to visit my dying grandfather. I was 15 years

old and it was worth the humiliation of every car that passed me by.

# 6 On the Navajo reservation I lived for a year in a log and mud hogan, with an English

sheep dog, and a mohair goat. At first I missed electricity but soon learned that living

without running water or plumbing was a greater necessity.

# 7 I worked for ten years enforcing the endangered plant laws and antiquities protection

laws in southern Arizona. ( Cactus Cop )

# 8 I'm terribly allergic to cats and horses.

# 9 It's almost 20 years since I had a drink or a drug. My daughter and most of my

friends have never seen me under the influence. I pray to keep it that way.

# 10 I used to say that unconditional love was a myth. Being a single parent raising an

incredible daughter by myself has taught me otherwise.

# 11 I sold my first work of art to a man who made his fortune selling bras.

# 12I sold a painting that President Clinton Kept in the Oval office for 7 years.

# 13 I want to see Prague & Istanbul before I die.

# 14 I have lived in an intentional community for 20 years. We used to be hippies.

# 15 I played volleyball with James Hillman the author of Re-visioning Psychology.

# 16 My spanish is pretty good I wish it was much better.

# 17 I need to make art.

# 18 I designed and built my own house. It was beautiful. Selling it was the death of a

dream. I'm glad I did it now.

# 19 I enjoy poetry slams.

# 20 I'm powerless over Mac Stuff and my life is unmanageable.

# 21 I'm still afraid of nuns.

# 22 I was roommates with James Turrell for a week when I was 18 years old. I didn't Know

he was famous. He drank all my of carrot juice.

# 23 My best friend and mentor has Parkinson's .

# 24 I wish I had the faith to practice a religion.

c Steven Derks 2012 801 n. Main Tucson, Arizona 85705 abosmm@r.postjobfree.com

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