National Sculpture Society Fellow
Jim Rennert was born in 1958, and grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Salt Lake City, Utah. After ten trying years of working in business, Rennert was inspired to explore his artistic vision and embarked upon his career as a sculptor in 1990. He began exhibiting in galleries in 1993 and has since gained significant recognition.
Rennert’s seminal series of works is immediately identifiable, with simplified figures and forms depicting men in suits. Combining the traditional medium of bronze with modern forms of flat laser cut steel, he illustrates concepts of corporate success and the obstacles faced by the modern working man. Drawing on both his past professional experiences, and those of his contemporaries, Rennert composes thought-provoking works to which viewers undeniably react and relate. Early works emphasize movement and physical metaphor, while more recent pieces show the development of a more contemplative character. In 2016 Rennert also released his first series of two-dimensional works, a collection of digital drawings available as large-scale prints.
Rennert continually exhibits at the major US art fairs as well as galleries in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Florida, Utah, New Mexico, Maine, Colorado, and British Columbia, with private and corporate collectors world-wide. From June 2014 through May 2015, Rennert was honored with a monumental public installation of his iconic sculpture, THINK BIG, which was on exhibition in New York City’s Union Square, in cooperation with the NYC Parks Department.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
For the last several years my work has focused on my past experiences in the competitive world of business. Mixing the traditional medium of bronze and contemporary forms of flat laser cut steel, I have illustrated themes and concepts of every day work life. Integrated into the various pieces are suits, ladders, briefcases, and forms representing buildings, all of which are iconic visual representations of business. The title works together with the visual image to illustrate the experience, sometimes physical, sometimes psychological. I have used sports and other physical activities as a metaphor to express the daily struggles and achievements of the contemporary businessman. I try to emphasize movement in the figures as well as some of the forms by paying particular attention to their placement in relation to each other as well as on the supporting base. This presents a strong element of design in each work.
Initially I had hoped to have depicted popular culture's ideas on achievement and success in an ironic and humorous fashion. However, over the past years, the work has taken on a more serious tone as I illustrate more about the thoughts and ideas we all deal with in our contemporary society. The work has evolved into developing a consistent character and creating an environment in which the interaction between the two, brings in the viewer. This approach seems to allow the audience an opportunity to relate to the work in a very personal manner. While not everyone wears a suit, I feel the themes transcend to the everyman.