Peter Reginato

El Watusi

2008

(American, b. 1945) A noted contemporary sculptor whose chosen medium is steel, Reginato was born in Texas, but grew up in California. His whimsical abstract forms employ a variety of textures and colors, grouping together painted (and sometimes perforated or folded) metal shapes in a collage-like fashion. The shapes are sometimes layered, but are often connected using thin steel pipes the artist calls "wires," allowing individual elements to seemingly move about in space. Reginato credits California's car culture for encouraging his early interest in metal, and his training in engineering and metalwork for the fine craftsmanship with which his works are constructed. Though abstract, Reginato's exuberant sculptures possess an anthropomorphic feel, and the collage-like nature of his compositions imbues each work with a distinct personality. Reginato has recently produced a series of sculptures in entirely unpainted steel, adding a new dimension to his work. The artist's many honors include a Guggenheim fellowship and scores of solo gallery and museum exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad. His work is found in numerous prestigious private and public collections, including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C., and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.