"I try to create art that causes the viewer to start seeing old things, discarded things, items around them everywhere, as having beauty of color and texture. I take old surfaces - wooden panels, ink-stained blocks, deconstructed household furniture - and without changing their color and texture, I make them part of something colorful, genuine and beautiful."
Rockford's work is reminiscent of the Dadaists and Constructivists of the early 20th century but there are clear and common threads that tie Buffalo's industrial past into these vignettes. Most of the source material for his works have come from reclaimed artifacts of various industrial processes. They exalt the virtues of the inherent aesthetic in these objects and place them into a framework that almost fetishizes the objects. Which means they just look cool.
Rockford's work is in many local collections and his public showings are limited. A solo exhibition of Rockford's work will be on display at the Western New York Book Arts Center at Washington & Mohawk St. from Friday Aug. 8 to Saturday Sept. 5, 2009. An opening reception featuring the artist is Friday Aug 7 from 6 - 9PM at the WNY Book Arts Center. Regular gallery hours are Wed - Sat 12 - 6PM
They should post this on the Allentown First Friday's list of galleries for the art crawl planned for this Friday.