The source of my work lies in an ongoing exploration of distinctive visual compositions. Through metal fabrication, I create abstract, nonobjective sculptures by joining and layering geometric forms into dynamic arrangements. I am continually searching for relationships among line, plane, and volume that evoke an emotional response—much like a composer arranging musical notes into a harmonious composition.
My work is inspired by both the natural world and the engineered precision of fabricated metal. The dramatic geological formations of the American West, particularly those found in places such as Arches National Park, have long influenced my sense of structure, balance, and asymmetry. I am equally fascinated by the form of wings and the remarkable way they embody flight—not only as a physical phenomenon but also as a metaphor for aspiration, transformation, and freedom.
Each sculpture is designed to convey a sense of dynamic energy through rhythm, asymmetrical balance, and the interplay of light across sculpted surfaces. While the forms remain abstract, they often suggest motion, growth, and uplift. At the heart of my practice is a continual search for harmony—a pursuit of visual compositions that invite contemplation while expressing strength, movement, and the possibility of transcendence.
Artist Statement
Rhett Fitzgerald was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and raised in southern Louisiana. From an early age, he was drawn to both drawing and making things with his hands. Although his high school did not offer art classes, he spent four years studying technical drafting, where he developed an appreciation for precision, craftsmanship, and the disciplined use of line through traditional drafting tools such as the pencil and compass.
He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, in 1999. While there, he studied sculpture under Professor Rivers Murphy, an experience that profoundly shaped his artistic direction. Working in the sculpture studio, Fitzgerald discovered that the same precision, attention to detail, and craftsmanship he had admired in drafting could be realized through metal, tools, and three-dimensional form. Sculpture quickly became his passion.
Fitzgerald remained at Northwestern State University to further develop his sculptural practice, completing a Master of Arts while building a comprehensive portfolio. He later attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture in 2004.
Since then, Fitzgerald has lived and worked in Denham Springs, Louisiana, where he maintains an active studio practice, creates and exhibits contemporary sculpture, and teaches Talented Visual Arts at the high school level. His work reflects a lifelong fascination with precision, movement, and abstract form, combining meticulous craftsmanship with dynamic compositions inspired by flight, geological formations, and the search for visual harmony.
Artist Bio
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