AU Member Profile: Gordon Punt, Sculptor

Member Profile: Gordon Punt, sculptor, contributor to AU, and now creator of Ventura Virtual Sculptor & Art Museum


Gordon Punt has been a mover during his life. When he came to Ventura he became a mover and shaker!

But let’s start at the beginning start at the beginning… He was born and lived in LA the first 18 years of his life. After four years in the Navy, Gordon moved to San Francisco for four years, and the went on to live in the Santa Rosa area for 24 years. That was enough time in one area for him, and several factors dictated his move to Ventura about eight years ago.

First, his mother was still alive and living here at that time, so he took care of her for six months, before she passed away. “The other big reason I moved to Ventura was Art City,” Gordon says. “For many years I had visited Art City, and Paul Lindhard had helped me when I needed some marble. I also needed a base to operate my commercial garden art business ("Creature Rocks"), for which I delivered to nurseries and garden gift stores all over California. I wanted to continue my fine art sculpture as well, and there is no better place in California than Art City to do that. “Soon after starting to work at Art City, I became interested in the Artists' Union because some of the other sculptors I worked around were involved. I wanted to meet other local artists so I joined the Union when the Gallery was first established on California Street.

“My experience in hanging my own shows for thirty years came in handy, so I gradually became more involved in the Artists' Union. I then started the Arts & Crafts Show, which began in the small park on Main Street, near the Farmer's Market. After a year at the Park, I moved the show to the Beach where it continues today. I also started the AU website. In July 2006, I stepped down from being Vice President of the Artists' Union to work on other projects. The website I created for the Union inspired me to make a more in depth website for local sculptors.” The result was Gordon’s museum site, entitled the Ventura Virtual Sculpture & Arts Museum(VVSAM). The website not only focuses on sculpture but the other art forms the sculptors create as well. “The Museum exists not to sell art, but to archive the masterpieces our local artists have produced in their careers. The Sculpture Museum is intended to continue for many generations, and hopefully will encourage other artists to make similar websites. You can see the website at: www.sculpture-museum.com and it is also represented in the new online Saatchi Gallery at: http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/dealers_galleries

“I love living in Ventura and enjoy the myriad of art and artists here that I have come to know.”

Gordon creates sculptures in various and in bronze. He also sketches in pen and ink. He explains some of the things that inspire his art this way. “"I am fascinated with the human face for many reasons. First of all the face is a meeting place between the inner and outer worlds. The expression on someone's face can tell you at one glance a story that would take paragraphs to explain in words. I also love shapes, so the combination of eyes, nose and mouth give me lots of variety and challenges as I move from one type of face to another. When I see a face emerging from my pen, clay, wax or stone, it looks back at me and gives me a kind of energy that I do not
find in abstract art. I can even feel a spiritual presence sometimes that is very
comforting."

Gordon earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Sonoma State University and went to Carrara, Italy in 1984 to work on his Master of Fine Arts degree. His overall educational background is impressive. Here are other institutes he has attend for varying periods over the years: Academy of Art, San Francisco; Art Center School, LA, CA; El Camino Jr. College, LA, CA (Drawing and Painting); Santa Monica Jr. College, Santa Monica, CA (Sculpture & Drawing); San Francisco Art Institute, SF, CA (Honors in Figure Drawing); Evolution Art Institute, Petaluma, CA (Stone Sculpture & Tool Making; Sierra University, San Francisco.

Gordon can be reached at 805 340-0609; or via e-mail at: gordon@gpunt.com; gordon_punt@yahoo.com.
His web sites include: www.gpunt.com,
www.free-nude-drawings.com
and http://www.sculpture-museum.com

Written by Ken Fermoyle