Gary Carlos

Professor of Art, Sculpture and 3D Design

Biography: 

Gary Carlos grew up in the Central Valley. He moved to the Bay Area in 1992 and received a BA from San Francisco State in 1995 and an MFA from San Diego State in 2004. Intersecting interests in painting, ceramics and public art led him to work in ceramic tile and mixed media. His wall pieces have dealt with issues related to American culture, land use practices and the manufactured relationship between order and nature. His work has been included in many national exhibitions and publications including “Confrontational Ceramics,” by Judith Schwartz and “Suburban Escape: The Art of California Sprawl,” published by the San Jose Museum of Art. Gary moved from the Bay Area back to Stockton in 2007 and is a professor of sculpture at San Joaquin Delta College.

Artist Statement: 

Ever since the first human settlements, people have left marks on the landscape - be they permanent or fleeting. These patterns communicate something about each unique era. The development of the suburb and suburban sprawl has marked a major shift in urban organization and is something uniquely American. Planned communities have offered democratized access to home ownership and a level of comfort never before achieved on such a mass scale. My work examines how modern attitudes towards nature and the world are reflected in these landscapes we shape and manufacture.