Where I Met The Road A Sculptural Exhibition of Wood, Metal, and being Transgender at Greensboro Project Space

Where I Met The Road
A Sculptural Exploration of Wood, Metal, and being Transgender
by Vinny Verburg

Exhibition: April 23 - 27, 2024
Reception: Friday, April 26th, 6-8p

More About Where I Met The Road

In my artistic practice recently I have been exploring the intersection of metal and wood. In these pieces, I process my own life as a Latino transgender man in the south and the difficulties that arise from the world surrounding my identity. I use the long process of carving wood and bending steel with a variety of hand and powertools as time to reflect on life and process unfortunate or hard situations, equating the challenges of crafting the piece with the difficulties of life. Utilizing found wood and scrap yard metal, I transform these otherwise unwanted materials into objects of fascination and fun, restoring them and myself in the process. I also explore these concepts through other sculptural materials like metal casting with the goal to affirm incredibly important aspects of my existence in bodies that will last longer than my fleshy form. I took to foraging White Tail Deer bones and making life casts of my hands to form homes for my desire to be seen and understood in this identity. Through both ways of thought I seek to resolve myself, the materials, and connect with the people who will see them.

More About Vinny

This collection of works was created primarily in my two years as a Foundry Technician at UNCG. They display my first real endevor of a self-lead artistic practice and exploration of materials that were available to me in the foundry. I chose to dive into the intersection of wood and metal and worked to amass a body of pieces that explored differing aspects of each material and how they could interact. The contrast of a long living material like steel and iron paired with the passive existence of wood presents a natural divide between these materials that I work to mold towards a cohabitation of existence. As the world churns and turmoil arises surrounding my identity I seek to pursue a harmony unseen in my life and reflect it onto my pieces. Here, I present two years worth of a variety of finishes, techniques, and materials since I want each work to feel like it expands upon the last and leads viewers through the journey I took to get here.