TWO

by Julie Clay

GARY AND MARY DAY’S

Smallwalls studio and gallery is easy to find, a welcome fact considering the Fairway Trade Village building and Naples Art District on Shirley Street in Naples is awash with artist spaces. At least their space faces the street, making it easy to spot among the boat repair, focuses on drawing and creating sculptures with Asian basket reed, candidly referring to her sculpture work as “drawings in space.”

On the phone earlier in the day, they shared how their individual work coalesces into what they refer to as “visual problem solving.”

“We complement one another,” says Mary.

Expounding on the topic, she describes it that, seeing how it develops organically and using the quality of the material I’m drawing with to amplify the lights and the darks, the texture of the material and the rhythm.”

The delicately woven reed sculptures hanging on the wall attest to her idea. One could almost visualize Mary’s process of creation by looking at their simple, yet intricate design. “A primary consideration in my process is allowing for the nature and behavior of the material and tools being used. Magic can happen when the maker and material synchronize.. To complement it I’m fortunate to live with a computer whiz.” flooring, and automotive trade businesses more typically found in an industrial park.

Mary greeted me warmly upon my entrance and I observed their artwork both finished, hanging on the walls, and in progress in the work area. Each of their pursuits is an individual expression; while Gary’s is technology-based, involving computer-generated imagery, animation, and game design, Mary as the visual rhythm of the composition. “My work is based on gesture, so it’s like the gesture of the hand making a mark or the hand working with material as it were,” Mary explains, “I go through this problem-solving process of having an idea. I start off with drawing essentially and then make a large gestural line drawing. Then working from

Gary eschews the simplicity of reed sculptures for technology. His creations are the result of computer-generated images, animation, and a printmaking background as he