JUSTIN D. TURCOTTE •   WEAVERVILLE, NC

Emerging artist Justin Turcotte received his BA degree from Franklin Pierce University (NH) and furthered his studies at Penland School of Crafts (NC).

Turcotte sources stock materials from steel yards then manipulates them into striking geometic forms using hdyraulic rollers, presses, and heat. This labor-intensive process relies on skills amassed from years of experimentation, mechanical jobs, and custom work for fellow artists.

Turcotte's steel work is perhaps best known for its visual interplay with the environment. If you stand in front of one of his sculptures, you see straight through it; as you move around the piece, however, the artwork's superimposed network of lines create an optical illusion of shifting patterns known as the moire effect. This captivating movement of light enlivens both the landscape and the sculpture's place within it.