Jay Wholley

Jay Wholley is a sculpture who works mostly with cast metals and bronzes. His work tends to focus on the relationship between culture and their materials. Wholley earned a B.A. at Dartmouth College followed by an M.F.A. at the University of Colorado in 1968. Since 1971, Wholley has been teaching at the Ramapo College of New Jersey. Through his pieces, the relationship between culture and materials is evident in sometimes very simple ways: his use of iron in his classes in New Jersey brings focus to that area’s rich history of iron pours both geologically and culturally. His interest in geology comes through in his pieces as cracks and fissures of the casting system reflect the imperfections and complexity of the earth’s core. His works are in the permanent collections of museums around the world including Krasle Art Museum, Municipality of Pirkkala, Finland and the Detroit Institute of Art. He has been a visiting artist around the country as well, including Buffalo State College in 1996.