DRIP-DROP, TICK-TOCK, HERE + NOW By Joseph Fucigna Opens October 28
A new exhibit opening on October 28 at the Housatonic Museum of Art is aptly named DRIP-DROP, TICK-TOCK, HERE + NOW. The show, originally scheduled in 2018, was canceled a week prior to opening due to water damage from a fire above the gallery. When rescheduled for 2020, the exhibit was postponed yet again due to the pandemic.
“It is funny how the title, Drip-Drop, Tick-Tock, seems to have anticipated the circumstances of the show cancellations. Drip-Drop for the water damage and Tick-Tock the ticking time bomb of COVID,” said the artist, Joseph Fucigna.
The multi-media sculpture exhibition presents modest industrial materials transformed into elegant, yet provocative abstractions. The majority of work are selections from three series inspired by everyday materials. The Drip Series was inspired by silicone putty sliding down a wall, the Drape Series by the configurations of hanging cloth, and the most recent Hose Series by typical, suburban garden hose.
From a distance, sculptures from the Drip Series look soft and approachable, but upon closer inspection, the viewer realizes they are created from slabs of plastic and metal fencing that are carefully layered into forms that create the illusion of globs of an unknown material slipping down the wall.
A highlight from the Hose Series is Black Hose #4_silver_white_purple, which combines fencing and hose into an engaging, and suggestive sculpture. Referencing a figure with head, torso, genitalia and buttocks or breasts, the sculpture also provides an interior look with a skeleton and circulatory system.
“The ultimate goal is to create an artwork that is a perfect balance between compelling content and the formal qualities of the materials that allow both to be active participants,” said Fucigna.
The exhibition opens on Thursday, October 28, 2021 with a reception from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. The show will be on view in the museum’s Burt Chernow Galleries in Lafayette Hall on the Housatonic Community College campus through Friday, December 10, 2021. A gallery talk with the artist will take place on Saturday, November 13 at 1pm as part of City Wide Open Studios.
Visitors must be prepared to comply with social distancing rules and wear protective face masks. To plan a visit, please call 203-332-5052, or check the museum’s website, www.HoustaonicMuseum.org.
“The changes associated with presenting this exhibition are consistent with fluid nature of the sculptures themselves,” said Robbin Zella, Director of the Housatonic Museum of Art. “While arts and culture went digital throughout the pandemic, it is a pleasure to offer this engaging exhibit for our community to visit in-person.”
Joseph Fucigna lives and works in Weston, Connecticut. An art professor at Norwalk Community College and Chair of the Studio Arts Program, Fucigna holds a B.F.A. from Alfred University, and an M.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts. His work has been exhibited throughout the Northeast and New York and he is a 2018 recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship from the CT Commission on the Arts.
The Housatonic Museum of Art (HMA) is located at 900 Lafayette Blvd. in Bridgeport, CT and is home to one of the premier college art collections in the United States. Its collection offers students and the community the opportunity to view works that span the history of art from the ancient to the contemporary. Visit www.HousatonicMuseum.org to learn more.
Caption For Photo Above: The Housatonic Museum of Art presents a new exhibition, “DRIP-DROP, TICK-TOCK, HERE + NOW” by regional artist, Joseph Fucigna, opening Thursday, October 28, 2021.
Caption For Photo Right: Black Hose #4_silver_white_purple, 2020, plastic and metal fencing, rubber hose. 72 x 42 x 21
Caption For Photo Right: Cubist Drapery_White_Blue_Black, 2021, plastic and metal fencing. 60 x 52 x 27”
Caption For Photo Right: Veiled Threat, 2020, plastic and metal fencing. 65 x 55 x 16”
Caption For Photo Right: Red_White Drape Drip, 2018, plastic and metal fencing. 88 X 58 X 24"