Draft:Steph Gorkii

Steph Gorkii (Stephen Gorcoff) Artist December 9th, 19-- to June 16th, 2018



Born in Lloyd's Neck, Long Island in 19--

Steph Gorkii was an American Polymathic Artist working in Sculpture, collage, assemblage, photography, writing, zines, jewelry (making), furniture making, curating art galleries (The Makeshift Salon) in Provincetown, Cape Cod during the 198os art scene in Provincetown and New York City

Stephen later moved to Seattle where he continued his photography, eventually publishing a book "Nubile Nostalgia" which contained a foreword by National Gallery Photographic Historian John Wood.

He Lived in Bellingham, Washington state for a time before relocating to Portland (For a 2nd time), and moving back to New York State and Provincetown before he passed away from Heart failure on - - -

Early Life
Long Island:

Stephen Reminisced, during his growing up on Long Island, that he wandered and explored the beach, abandoned long island estates, and remembered being nearby the Abandoned site of Nikola Tesla's Laboratory at Wardenclyffe.

Provincetown Years
The Makeshift Salon, Johnny in Monsterland, Telegraph Hill, etc

In Provincetown, Massachusetts in the 8os and early 9os, Gorkii was a darling and very influential hub of culture and art. His Friend and Mentor Patrick Clark and himself started a gallery called, "The Makeshift Salon," which has become part of Provincetown Lore. Provincetown is one of the oldest art colonies in the United State.

Seattle
During his time in Seattle, at least two of Stephen's pieces were utilized as covers for "The Stranger" magazine

Gorkii photographed many young men for his analog photographs which he subsequently developed in his ad hoc darkroom. Many of these young men were street kids, or otherwise discarded by society. Gorkii would take them under his wing, cultivate and support their talents as well as utilize them as models, inspiration, his muses.

Bellingham
in 2005, Stephen relocated to Washington State, USA. He arrived with a Uhaul full of his ouevre and collection, essentially a wunderkammer, and virtually Homeless.

He spent a lot of time at Stuart's Coffeehouse on Bay Street, sitting outside smoking and talking with various people for long periods of time, night and day. Also, at the Blue Moon Clothing Store which was founded by Jimmy Henry, Poet and vintage clothes supplier. Stephen, also frequented The Downtown Food Coop on Forest Avenue.

Later, he and sculptor Jose Panet leased an old house on North Forest Street.

Portland
New York / Provincetown

Ouevre:

photography sculpture jewelry zines

Personal Life
Stephen was openly homosexual, and was addicted to methamphetamines and alcohol dependency much of his life, this, in large part was probably why his star fell out of its ascendency for much of his life, as he fell into Dissolution and often spiraled in a mindset he seemed unable or unwilling to escape from. At the end of his life, due to heart problems after over a decade of drug use, Stephen sought sobriety and being clean off drugs. It is believed he achieved that goal at the end of his life.

Influences and Inspiration
Stephen often remarked that his influences included :

Matthew Brady, Currier and Ives, Frank Lloyd Wright, Joel Peter Witkin, Thomas Cole, Hans Belmer

Lasting Cultural Influence :

Although in the years since Gorkii's "Carpenter Gothic" style was in Vogue it has been largely seen to be as "passe." this is merely a testament to the fact of the influence that Gorkii's work and that of other assemblage artists had, in the time since leading to the quotidian nature of this style of working. Its profliferation on Etsy and the expansion of "Mixed Media," "Collage," and "Found object" art long seen as precious and now an obsolete form of expression. Influences on Gorkii of Kurt Schwitters and Joseph Cornell (although he claimed to know nothing of them whatever) even with the gravitas of the work at the time - perhaps in part due to its Romance and High Baroque style being in direct opposition to the cynicism, nihilism, acerbic ness of the Post Modern era, or conversely the assemblage work of Gorkii's contemporaries of Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns and perhaps a modicum of homophobia. Gorkii was an outmode even before he began, but that doesn't negate the fact that his work was highly coveted at the time (although perhaps secretly), he caught the attention of Influential Art Critic Henry Geldzahler, who made a special trip to Provincetown to meet Stephen and see his work and the fact that his work is now (still) commanding high prices through various auction houses posthumously. The Gravitas of Gorkii's Ouevre although perhaps dismissed outrightly, perhaps through snobbery cannot ultimately be ignored it has become so thoroughly diffused through American Culture to be everywhere and nowhere.

Published Works
Nubile Nostalgia[2]

The Stranger Magazine covers (Seattle)