Artist Gavin Zeiger in his Shelter Island studio. (Courtesy Photo: Shelter Island Reporter)

Continuing with our artist profiles of artists both living and working in the Hamptons, our next artist is Gavin Zeigler, who lives in Shelter Island.

Shelter Island - Gavin Zeigler grew up in Franklin, Tennessee, a small farming town in the outskirts of Nashville, where he began his training under the direction of the late Bunn Gray. Zeigler did his undergraduate work in Art History at Fordham University in New York City.

Zeigler states "The French word collage, from the verb 'coller,' means 'painting, sticking or gluing - as in application of wall paper.' Its invention is credited to Picasso. Other artists such as Matisse and Kurt Schwitters expanded on this invention and have in turn affected my work."

Continuing, he reveals, "My process involves collage as well as painting and sanding, but stages in the process also guide the progress of the painting, therefore chance is a component of my work. To many modern artists, no matter how powerful their imaginations, chance seems infinitely more resourceful and productive, a more creative tool than anything deliberate or willed. For example, Matisse often began a painting with no clear idea of how the final picture would look."

"A Unit of Southern Exposure," 36" x 36" - Acrylic, Paper, Mixol and Mixed Media on Wood, 2011, by Gavin Zeigler. (Courtesy Image: Artist)

"Using materials and objects, such as coins, checks and stock certificates for their own qualities in an artistic context is to invite the observer to see them in a completely new way, divorced from their normal purpose. I find the texture of such surfaces, with strong suggestions of tactile qualities, provides me with a visual experience that is a mixture of sensory impressions. My paintings are notable not only for their tactile qualities but the sculptural textures and vivid colors. This is achieved by building layers upon layers of material, utilizing edges, perforations and crevices, which trap pigment, creating visual excitement while at the same time revealing the inherent beauty of these everyday materials."

"These materials are works already in progress - prepared for me by the outside world, previously formed, textured through handling the items, colored, and randomly stamped. Coins, for example, are unifying, man-made 'artifacts' and identifiable. Their collective use establishes grid patterns. Keys on the other hand represent people, in that they are all made out of the same material (brass), yet with individual qualities, histories, secrets and characters. The subject in all of my work is surface and color. Paint is as much an object as the materials are in my work."


"I draw sustenance from everywhere - from the totality of moral, intellectual and temporal as well as physical and sensory. My ever-changing environment and my life experiences affect my work. Titles are derived from many diverse sources such as moods evoked by certain paintings while others are taken from the immediate working environment. Everything I see exerts, however unconsciously, an influence on what I create."

"I Walked With Change," 48" x 48" Pennies mm, 2010, by Gavin Zeigler. (Courtesy Image: Artist)

When did you start making art and what medium(s) do you consider to be your roots in art?

Gavin Zeigler: I have been making and creating art since my early childhood. My first Magic Marker drawings were of imaginary sea life. When I was eight years old an Interior Designer purchased four of these drawings for the corporate offices of Peat Marwick and Mitchell in Nashville.

What is it about the Hamptons that brought you here and enticed you to stay, work, and pursue your art here as opposed to some place else?

GZ: I moved to New York City in the mid-1980s. It was about that time that I took a spontaneous motorcycle ride out to Eastern Long Island, and it was that trip that caused me to fall in love with the area.

How do you support yourself as an artist?

GZ: I work solely as an artist, creating mixed media paintings and bronze sculptures. Occasionally, I create a one of a kind piece of studio furniture for a designer or collector.

"Lincolns," 12" x 12" - Collage consisting of Pennies, Acrylic and Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 2008, by Gavin Zeigler. (Courtesy Image: Artist)

Why live and work in the Hamptons as opposed to elsewhere?

GZ: I grew up in Middle Tennessee and the ocean was at least a 10 hour drive. Living in Shelter Island, surrounded by water is a dream. I love the proximity of the ocean.

What local environmental or historical aspects of the Hamptons do you relate to that may be reflected in your medium?

GZ: Color, without a doubt, manifests itself in my mixed media paintings.

What artists do you feel have influenced you and your work?

GZ: Artists that have been the most influential include Bunn Gray, Richard Kalina and William Scharf.

What advice would you give an emerging artist?

GZ: The advice I would give an emerging artist would be read, get out to shows and museums and work as much as you can.

What gives you an edge (if any)?

GZ: My ability to work in various mediums including, but not limited to. acrylics, paper, wood, metal and glass.

What are you working on now, and are you involved in any upcoming shows or exhibitions?

GZ: I'm currently working on a series of collages utilizing old financial documents, such as stock certificates and antique bonds for several shows in 2012. Additionally, I recently had the opportunity to have my bronze sculptures and myself, as an artist, included in the USA's Network television show "Royal Pains" which broadcast in mid-September 2011.