Sculptor Jeff Owen Info - Sculpture.org

Jeff Owen - Metal Sculptor

Jeff Owen is a SF Bay area and nationally recognized abstract metal sculptor. His sculptures express his emotions, concepts, dreams, and the patterns he sees in life. Jeff is most noted for his steel sculptures but he also creates sculptures with aluminum, and incorporates rock, copper, stucco, and glass in his sculptures. His glass-steel sculptures are created in unison with Marc Demian of Demian Glass. Jeffs sculptures have won awards at the Palm Springs Museums National Juried Exhibition, Carmel’s Sculpture in the Park state juried exhibition, Santa Clara Indoor Sculpture local bay area exhibition, and Los Gatos Art Association Member and Open Juried Exhibitions. He sells his sculptures locally at fine art shows, at his San Jose, CA. studio, his Murphys, CA. Alleyway Galleyway, and the internet. His sculptures are present in more than 20 states in the US, and overseas in Australia.

Jeff’s “art” life began as a child sitting in the back seat of a Chevrolet stationwagon with a drawing tablet, only the best from the art store, and his favorite #2 pencil. His mother would put him and all of her drawing supplies into the car and drive all around town looking for interesting buildings, homes, or people to draw. Always on a busy street, cars whizzing by with all the noise that accompanies them; no matter, we were there to draw whatever was out the side window of the car. He’d say his drawings were never much to look at, but he always received tons of “that’s beautiful” or “I wish I could draw like that” from Mom. Sometimes his scale would be off, sometimes his perspective, no problem, Mom would encourage him.

Jeff’s life as a metal sculptor began with his father-in-law, Chet Christison (Fresno, CA) when Jeff discovered a discarded and neglected oxy-acetylene torch set and a small MIG welder in the back of Chet’s garage, guarded by feral cats and surrounded by discarded honey bee hives and old tools. “What the heck is this?” Jeff asked Chet. “Oh that, you wouldn’t know” he said. “That’s for welding metal.” Jeff persisted, “Can I have it? Are you using it? Chet’s gruff response, “What are you going to do with it? You don’t even know how to use it. You’ll have to get my son to show you how to use it,” made Jeff more determined. Jeff carried the ragged old oxy-acetylene torch and MIG welder back to San Jose and started creating. He has been hooked every since! Steel is his perfect media to express his emotions, dreams, visions, and patterns.

Artist’s Statement

My art is made of steel. My technique is brute force, decide-at-the-moment.

Weekly I travel to scrap metal yards throughout California, looking for interesting pieces of steel. When I find something special I grab it and take it back to my studio. It may take me only moments, or many months discover what that piece wants or needs to become, then I fulfill its destiny.

My creative process emerges with patterns. I incorporate patterns into all my sculpture. Taking one piece of steel, adding to it, or deleting from it, then ending when the sculpture encompasses all of my creativity, this is what charges up my artistic energies. When my creative force is flowing, I work on a sculpture to completion. It is finished when the creative flow ends.

My aspiration is to create unique sculpture, something that no one has done before. I resist conformity and mass production. My art is as individual as I am.

Thank you,

Jeff Owen