It’s hard to imagine a person who has not been depleted by this trying and tumultuous year. Gary Traczyk is, however, one such soul. While most of us have been nibbling our nails down to the cuticles and wondering how we’ll dig our way out of the 2020 abyss, he has taken a different approach.
“It’s so important to stay positive, to see the good,” he says during a phone interview on November 4.
As of this writing, the presidential election is still inconclusive, but Traczyk has not become a puppet to the minute-by-minute updates. He’s gone on living – savoring long meals with family at local restaurants, taking on overtime shifts at the fire station – enjoying regular life.
“I’m happy with everything that I have and I want what I have,” he says.
You see, Traczyk is not a brooding artist, locked up in his studio and waiting for an inner muse to surface. The sculptor is quick to crack a joke and quicker to win new friends thanks to the genuine interest he shows in listening – really listening – to people.
And – in addition to his fascination with the work of celebrated metal artists Jose De Rivera, Alexander Calder and George Rickey – it’s this upbeat, extroverted personality that has fueled his continual evolution and inspiration as a creator over the last 23 years.
“It opens my mind when I talk to people and we bounce ideas off one another. I love people.” He laughs and adds, “I mean, I’m also a firefighter and paramedic, so it’s not like I can hate people.”
From his early days as a sculptor more than two decades ago, Traczyk has thrived on interacting and even collaborating with other artists. In fact, his very first co-creation project was with the now-famous Brazilian pop artist Romero Britto.
Traczyk had only just decided to begin showing his sleek, fluid, balanced and dynamic stainless steel sculptures after several years of work when he met Britto. The two were introduced through a mutual friend from Traczyk’s high school, and the young men soon struck up a friendship. When the idea of combining their unique talents came into the conversation, it seemed a no-brainer.
“I mentioned it would be nice to add a contemporary motif to his very playful and colorful pop art, so basically I sculpted these pieces of stainless steel on granite, and he was to bring them to life with color.”
The resulting works were stunning – fun, energetic, seemingly alive. They were presented at a gala for Operation Smile prior to being placed in Britto’s gallery, where they sold quickly.
The pair had hoped to complete a larger series of the pieces, but the Brazilian painter was pulled to other projects as his fame suddenly skyrocketed.
Regardless, the collab had set Traczyk’s creative juices flowing faster than ever.
“Sharing ideas takes you out of your rabbit hole and makes you think out of the box,” says Traczyk. “You’re vulnerable and you start seeing things from a different perspective, getting out of your comfort zone and becoming more open minded.”
The artist soon discovered that exchanges even with non-artists had a similar motivating effect. He began to love the challenge of bending his art form (no pun intended) to achieve various aesthetics, often prompted by ideas or requests from his circle of friends, and even veritable strangers.
Read more about some of his favorite and most challenging projects in the next installment – coming soon.
In the meantime, follow @kineticsteel on Instagram.
