Gert Olsen

Artist's Statement:

My sculpture is the result of working and experimenting with various materials and methods of carving. Twenty-five years of cabinetry and wood sculpture evolved into stone carving. I work with the natural texture and color of the stone to create representative sculpture of animals and human forms and to develop abstract shapes. All of the stone is personally picked from quarries and stone yards in the United States and Europe. The stone block is initially cut and shaped with modern saws and cutters, then further shaped with traditional carving equipment, including chisels both pneumatic and manual.

The process continues with sanding, using many grades of sandpaper, and culminates with polishing. Most pieces are mounted on rotating bases for better viewing. The sculpture ranges from tabletop to monumental size for indoor and outdoor display.

Gert Olsen was born and educated in Denmark. He immigrated to Canada in 1956 then to the United States in 1962 where he gained citizenship. He has been a resident of Jupiter, Florida since 1984. Gert started his career as woodcarver which expanded into church carving. He transitioned to stone in the late 70s. He became familiar with marble by first hand observation in Pietrasanta. Italy home of the famous Cararra marble. These numerous trips to Italy resulted in importation of tons of Italian and other European marble for carving at his Jupiter studio. He also works in domestic marble and Indiana limestone. He works with the natural texture and color of the stone to create representative sculpture of animals and human forms and to develop abstract shapes. The sculptures range from tabletop to monumental size for indoor and outdoor display.

One of his larger commissions is a larger than life bear family at the Naples Bear Museum in Naples, Florida. He has also done private and corporate commissions. Gert has shown his work all over the United States at major art shows and has had work shown in galleries in New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois and Florida. He also has work in art collections in England, Switzerland, France, Germany, Japan and his native Denmark. Mr. Olsen is a member of the International Sculpture Center. Washington, DC and has received numerous awards at various art shows.