Five-Foot Gecko Appears on UTSA Arts Building Window

A five-foot gecko sculpture is now on display in the first-floor window of the Main Campus Arts Building at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Residents and students can view the piece from noon to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16.

The artist created the work after observing a small pink gecko interacting with his cat, Vincenzo, near his backyard window. The nightly visit inspired the student to translate the scene into a larger art project. Research indicated that geckos symbolize vulnerability, resiliency, patience, and renewal. The artist aimed to use these traits to motivate students facing the stress of unfinished presentations or traffic delays.

Construction began with a rebar wire skeleton. The artist scaled a three-inch reference gecko to a five-foot size, ensuring the proportions were correct. He cut and curved the malleable material to outline the head, arms, and legs in a climbing position. Electrical tape wrapped around the wire ends provided extra support.

Bubble wrap covered the constructed wire frame to form the body. Clear tape secured the malleable and translucent material, which served as the skin for the sculpture. The artist then adhered plastic beaded necklaces to the surface using hot glue to mimic gecko scales. He ordered a multicolored radial pattern to achieve attention to detail. An exclamation point appears on the dorsal side of the back pattern. Warm tones of magenta and red contrast against the rest of the cool color scheme.

Two rhinestone-studded beads were fastened to the side of the head to create the eyes. The artist tested several sizes of suction cups in various windows at different temperatures. He selected transparent plastic suction cups and anchored them on the ventral side to ensure equal weight distribution for installation on the glass.

The project required thumbnail sketches, research, and written proposals before receiving approval. The artist noted that his cats helped during the process. Senior supervisor Chester Cat inspected material choices. Vincenzo served as a junior assistant on the night shift.