Santa Maria Sun / Art

Abstract thoughts

Sculptor Suzi Trubitz translates steel and glass into themes and concepts

BY SHELLY CONE

Creating from steel In the Beginning is a 48-by-48-inch wall piece that contains hundreds of tiny freeform cuts. The process is a lengthy one—and one wrong cut destroys the piece. PHOTO COURTESY C GALLERY

A walk through the C Gallery in Los Alamos these days is a journey through twisted metal and glass. It’s a study of sharp edges, steely reflections, and cold, hard lines—but it also demonstrates great fragility, warm color, and, at times, a delicacy as fine as lace.

The gallery’s latest exhibition, Abstract Journey, is an exploration of the work of Santa Ynez Valley resident Suzi Trubitz.

Trubitz works with metal and glass to create work that not only evokes emotion but taps into the intellect. How she strikes such a balance, not even Trubitz knows.

“I’ve learned to trust the energy flow and what direction it takes me and figure that’s the right place for me to be,” she said. “I have no control over it.”

She began working with metal when she walked through a gallery in Florida and saw some metal work.

“I thought, ‘I could do that,’” she said.

And she did, only in her own style: big pieces with hundreds of tiny freeform cuts. She fuses stained glass into many of her pieces. The result is a transformation from an opaque, bulky piece of metal to a stirring, evocative piece.

The materials she works with are awkward, sharp, heavy, and often larger than herself: think giant hunks of metal, heavy mirrors, and thick chunks of stained glass that she breaks and adds to her work. From these unwieldy materials, she coaxes beauty and thought.

Expansive energy Energy Vibrations is a 48-by-48-inch piece of metal over pieces of red glass. PHOTO COURTESY C GALLERY

“It’s all tied to the intellectual side of it, too. This is a person with depth of life experience, so it shows up in her pieces,” said Connie Rohde, C Gallery’s owner.

Trubitz didn’t hesitate when asked how long she’s been an artist: “Since I was a little girl.” She answered even before the question was complete. But despite the confidence now, did she ever entertain the thought of becoming something else? Trubitz cut through that sentence, too, like one of her metal pieces: “Never. I always, always knew I was going to do this.”

Trubitz began art lessons as a young girl in New York. She attended Parsons School of Design and Boston University of Fine Arts and worked as a Madison Avenue art director before settling in Santa Ynez.

Trubitz’ work sits in many private and corporate collections in the United States and around the world. Her work is shown in galleries and museums, in movies, and on TV. In early November, Suzi’s work will be exhibited in the SOFA show in Chicago, featuring sculptural objects and functional art from 120 contemporary galleries from around the world.

Abstract Journey The Suzi Trubitz exhibition at C Gallery primarily features her abstract work. She also creates realistic sculptures with elements inspired by concepts, thoughts, or famous works or events. PHOTO BY SHELLY CONE

At C Gallery, Trubitz stood in front of a wall piece of twisted metal over layers of blue and teal glass, called Peace Dreams. Tiny freeform cuts puncture the metal, making look like a thin screen. The piece is the manifestation of Trubitz’ thoughts of serenity. But like a true artist, she won’t reveal what she was thinking or how she was inspired with the piece. She explained that she doesn’t want to limit its meaning by labeling it with an explanation. So to those who wander in the gallery see a reflection of the sky and clouds, or a fresh breeze, or the sea floor bottom—whatever evokes feelings of peace and serenity in that particular person.

Likewise, when she creates pieces, she adds small details for people to find, like hidden words, and other details that only she knows will never tell. In that way her pieces are multi-layered.

“Why does it have to be multi-layered?” she asked. “It has to keep me interested.”

Trubitz’s creations require her to use welders, plasma torches, grinders, and similar equipment. Add to that
arsenal the challenges of patience and restraint.

“There’s no room for mistakes, there are no erasers,”
she said.

Take the journey Abstract Journey will show at the C Gallery, 466 Bell St. in Los Alamos, through Aug. 6. Suzi Trubitz will give a philosophical talk called “If there is a Fork in the Road, do you take it?” from 4 to 6 p.m. on July 12 at the gallery. For more information, call 344-3807. To view Trubitz’ other works, visit suzitrubitz.com.

Trubitz’s pieces are made up of so many cuts and take hours upon hours of subtle movement and days upon days of concentration, yet can be totally destroyed by one wrong movement.

“That’s what makes Suzi’s work so spectacular—she has a vision and she has the persistence to follow through,” Rohde said.

Trubitz’s persistence, however, isn’t because she’s intent on creating a thing of beauty as much as she’s trying to give life to her thoughts and emotions.

“I don’t make something because it looks pretty,” she explained. “It all has meaning.”

Arts Editor Shelly Cone believes there are no mistakes and is no need for erasers. She can be contacted at scone@santamariasun.com.