Exhibition: Malls, Parades & Pedestrians, works by Stephen Glueckert

The exhibition is a gathering assembly of three associated bodies of works. The large-scale drawings are based on a series of thumbnail sketches done while walking in the mall, and observing local parades. The sculptures are participatory assemblages of free-standing figures with historical references.
Much of the work contrasts images of fantasy consumerism with the reality of daily survival. The work is grounded in realism. Incorporating the bright colors used in advertising in contrast to the plain wear and tear of everyday life accentuates the irony present in daily life. Glueckert has created interactive assemblages since the 1970s. This recent work is a continuing effort to extend metaphors beyond their intended meaning and into the realm of perhaps a more literal interpretation.
Stephen Glueckert lives in Missoula, his birthplace. He received a BFA from the University of Idaho and an M.Ed. in Art Education from Western Washington University. He has taught at The University of Montana, Walla Walla Community College, and the University of Papua New Guinea. He spent ten years at the Northwest Children’s Home as a counselor and teacher. He has been a recipient of a Montana Individual Artist’s Fellowship. Glueckert is Curator Emeritus for the Missoula Art Museum and has written extensively about contemporary artists living and working in Montana.