Vince Skelly: New Works
February 12–March 13, 2021

Surface Magazine: For Vince Skelly, Wood Carving Is a Meditative Act

Sandra Percival on Vince Skelly: Journey of Juxtapositions / Skelly: Thinking Through Brancusi and Penone

Vince Skelly (b. 1987, Claremont, California;  lives and works in Portland, OR) creates carved wooden sculptures, both formal and functional. Using wood from a variety of trees native to the Pacific Northwest in addition to American chestnut and eucalyptus, Skelly works reductively to shape each stool, chair, or abstract form from a single block. Following grain, patterns, knots, and other irregularities inherent to the material, Skelly highlights simple and essential abstract shapes informed by intrinsic characteristics of the material. The sculptures are inspired by various traditions of wood carving—which is one of the oldest artforms—as well as by a history of objects that extends back to megalithic dolmens, ancient figurines, the sculptures of Brancusi, and paintings of Philip Guston. With a chainsaw and traditional hand tools, Skelly slowly reveals biomorphic volumes, off-kilter angles, and carved portals within his glyph-like forms, each bearing their own spirit, rhythm and personality.

Skelly received his BA from San Francisco State University. This is the artist’s debut solo exhibition.

Select Works

Vince Skelly
Pentre, 2019
chestnut
19 x 22 3/4 x 32 3/4 inches
48.26 x 57.78 x 83.19 centimeters
VS_2019_005




Vince Skelly
Coral, 2020
unknown wood
23 x 20 1/2 x 16 1/2 inches
58.42 x 52.07 x 41.91 centimeters
VS_2020_003




Vince Skelly
Penwith, 2020
black locust
33 1/4 x 16 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches
84.45 x 41.91 x 44.45 centimeters
VS_2020_008




Vince Skelly
Talatí, 2020
black locust
17 1/2 x 12 3/4 x 29 1/2 inches
44.45 x 32.38 x 74.93 centimeters
VS_2020_009



Vince Skelly
Carrowmore, 2020
black locust
28 1/2 x 16 x 17 inches
72.39 x 40.64 x 43.18 centimeters
VS_2020_0011




Vince Skelly
Gela, 2020
box elder
20 x 14 1/4 x 14 inches
50.80 x 36.20 x 35.56 centimeters
VS_2020_0016




Vince Skelly
Cuzco, 2020
black locust
9 1/4 x 9 x 42 inches
23.50 x 22.86 x 106.68 centimeters
VS_2020_0018




Vince Skelly
Marayour, 2021
paulownia
15 5/8 x 25 1/2 x 36 inches
39.69 x 64.77 x 91.44 centimeters
VS_2021_001




Vince Skelly
Brownshill, 2021
white oak
17 1/2 x 20 x 22 1/8 inches
44.45 x 50.80 x 56.20 centimeters
VS_2021_002




Vince Skelly
Cornwall, 2021
redwood
33 x 23 x 24 inches
83.82 x 58.42 x 60.96 centimeters
VS_2021_004




Vince Skelly
Lintel, 2021
redwood
19 1/2 x 14 x 33 1/4 inches
49.53 x 35.56 x 84.45 centimeters
VS_2021_006




Vince Skelly
Callanish, 2021
black locust
11 x 13 1/4 x 17 1/2 inches
27.94 x 33.66 x 44.45 centimeters
VS_2021_0014




Vince Skelly
Dakka, 2021
white oak
16 x 18 x 18 inches
40.64 x 45.72 x 45.72 centimeters
VS_2021_0017