Artist Bio

Rebecca A. Flis is interested in a wide range of artistic processes, but her specialty is metal casting. While trained in traditional techniques of casting, she has directed her exploration towards using non-traditional materials. This direction has led to more investigation into the sensory interaction of material and the relationship between texture and form in her work. Her academic credentials are a BFA with minors in Art Education and Art History from Alfred University [2014] and an MFA in sculpture from the University at Albany (SUNY) [2018]. Her work has been featured in many shows including Strange World, a solo show, at the Widlund Gallery in North Creek, NY and Passing Time, a three-person show, at the Saratoga Arts Gallery in Saratoga, NY, as well as numerous group shows. Rebecca has lead workshops on dung-molding, a form of natural mold-making used in some ancient casting processes, in New York, Alabama, and even Latvia. In the wake of the COVID-19 quarantine, Rebecca has been spending her time rediscovering her love for 2D media.​

Artist Statement

The contrast between decay and preservation is a prevalent theme in my art. I challenge expectations of material and permanence—whether it is making the intangible solid, the ephemeral enduring, or the stable fleeting. I am interested in the sensory interaction of material and the relationship between texture and form; the way that simply changing the medium of an object can suggest new interpretations and feelings. Using unstable substances results in casts that are reflections of their originals, but also exist as tangible representations of passing time. Conversely, permanent materials such as bronze and iron act as an agent of preservation, freezing ephemeral objects in time and space. I draw from my own experiences to create works that mirror my emotional or physical self. The contradictions in material, aesthetics, and content are ones that I embody. I am forever both the pristine and the deformed, the fleeting and eternal, the whole and the segmented and this reality reflects in my work.