Author: Nemo Gould

I’m pleased to announce that a selection of my “Trigger Warning” series is on display in the widows of the Roll Up Project (corner of 3rd and Harrison in Oakland CA). This is only a fraction of the entire collection. Reach out if you’re interested in any of them, or have questions. It’s a pretty dark body of work, taking a satirical look at violence in our culture, and our bizarre approach to handling crisis and conflict. I hope to exhibit the whole series if I can find a venue eventually.

Im excited to announce my next pop-up exhibit “Reverse Engineered”. It’s been ages since I’ve had the opportunity to show work in the real world so I hope some of you can make it. This thing is coming together kind of last minute, so save the date and stay tuned next week for more details and a preview of the new work I’ll be showing. 

Reverse Engineered

465 9th Street, Oakland CA

Opening Reception: November 13, 5-8PM

Additional hours:

Friday, November 19, 12-4PM

Saturday, November 20, 12-4

Saturday, November 27, 12-6

Closing Reception Friday, December 3, 5-8PM

I’m also available for private appointments, contact me if you’d like to set one up.

Introducing a new series of small, tactile sculptures!  

A while back my 7 year old son brought home a plastic fidget spinner, to which I replied “We can do better!” I’ve always been pretty skeptical about these toys, seeing them as frivolous at best.  However, having produced these designs, I can no longer go without one in my pocket.  The real epiphany came when I realized that they can be used as remedies for cell phone addiction (or compulsion in general).  I’ve learned to question the impulse that sends me into my pocket for another toxic dose of screen time, and choose instead to bring out one of these haptic toys.  They are just as pointless as the junk we stare at on our phones, but way more healthy, and satisfying!  Works with Android or iOS, lifetime battery!

I’ve made a small batch of each design. If there is sufficient demand, I’ll produce more. Each piece is hand made in my studio, so quantities will be limited. 

Individual info with purchase links below:

“The Helm” $200 Purchase here

While this design admittedly does not depart much from the classic “spinner” design, the addition of the free floating spheres along the spokes adds a surprising amount of variety and tactile satisfaction.  The sounds produced by the spheres clacking is another pleasing feature.

“Cross Purpose” $125 Purchase here

This unique pocket sculpture incorporates strong magnets to “suspend” the large central sphere on its axial shaft.  The smaller spheres provide multiple grip and pivot points, producing a surprisingly wide range of actions.  While it may not impress much visually, I feel this one is the most successful as a tactile/haptic experience.  Sometimes simple is best.

“Gyro” $225 Purchase here

This hand sculpture was inspired by a gyroscope toy I had as a child.  The rings can be aligned to rotate cleanly around the central bearing, or be allowed to drift on their separate axles to produce a fun wobble effect.

Lockdown 2021

18” x 18” x 18” (sphere only, chain is variable)

As I write this it is the spring of 2021.  The Covid-19 virus has kept us all isolated or inhibited in some way or another for over a year.  Vaccines are now available, and we’re starting to see glimpses of a return to “normal” life, though for many of us this means further disruptions in our attempts to create the basic life patterns that we depend on for mental health.  With this piece I’m hoping to avoid the political bickering, and just provide an image that I hope we can all relate to: This thing has been a burden to us all, good riddance!

More photos here.

I first met Chris Siracuse, the host of the podcast “Greener Us” years ago when he was producing his film “Found” which was a short documentary he made about me and my work. His podcast explores broader issues around environmental conservation, something Im particularly interested in. Our conversation explored this topic in general, and how it figures into my studio practice of using found materials.

You can listen on apple podcasts here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reimagining-junk/id1559125401?i=1000515151793

Or spotify here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xQmPNln1T7qBUStZ7164t?si=XAQgyh6USl–D_QRdRTrbw

Near the end of 2020, when I had just finished moving into a new studio in Oakland CA, I had the privilege of being featured on the History Channel show: Assembly Required with Tim Allen, Richard Karn, and April Wilkerson.  It was a competition build show, so naturally I lost.  Still, it was nice to represent Makers to a broader audience, and it was a cool way to break in my new work space.  You can watch the episode here:

https://play.history.com/shows/assembly-required/season-1/episode-2

Some of you may know that I spent most of the summer moving in to a new studio (still in Oakland CA).  This process was a major undertaking, requiring a lot of hard choices and physical labor.  It is with great pleasure that I can now finally say that the process is finished and I’m back to work producing new artwork for 2021!  It feels great to be on the other side of such a daunting project, and I’m especially grateful to have such a terrific workspace during these difficult times.  It remains to be seen how I, and artists everywhere, will manage the exhibition side of this life during the Covid 19 pandemic, but I’m confident it will take shape over the coming months.

Studio moving sale!

The time has come again for me to move my studio (not far this time, just a few miles across town).  Lucky for you this means an awesome garage sale featuring tons of my unused materials, and some pretty severe discounts on art.

319 Center Street, Oakland CA. Doors will be open Saturday and Sunday September 19-20 from 10-4. Please wear a mask, and respect social distancing.

Included in the pile:

Motors, gears, bearings, springs, wheels, electrical components, machine components, vises, tools, metal, wood, metal, metal, machines, antiques, art, bikes, things, dreams, memories, grease, dust, rust…. And a number of nice sculptures actually (all deeply discounted for the occasion: www.nemogould.com/available ).

Hey, I just opened up an Etsy store.  You’ll find some of my smaller works for sale there (their site doesn’t seem friendly to large sculpture).  Of course you can always contact me directly about purchasing art.  Whats different here is that I’ve also begun putting up select objects from my materials collection for sale.  If you’re fond of vintage machinery and technology as I am, take a look.

For any in the Oakland area who couldn’t make it to the opening of my recent solo show “Retro-Speculative“, I will be hosting an informal closing reception at the gallery on Sunday, November 10 from 3-6PM.  494 9th Street, Oakland CA.  This will be the last day before the show comes down.

Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/503497973575139/

I’ll also have the space open on the following dates and times:

Friday, November 1, 12-3pm (street is closed for farmers market)

Friday, November 8, 12-3pm (street is closed for farmers market)

Saturday, November 9, 12-3pm

Sunday, November 10, 3-6pm Closing Reception

I’ve also posted some images and video from the opening here.

 

I’m excited to announce an upcoming solo pop-up exhibit!

Opening Reception:

Saturday, October 19, 6-9PM

494 9th Street Oakland CA.

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Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2113736162060514/

 

The gallery will be open the following times (or by appointment, just contact me).

Please note: there is a farmers market on Fridays which can make parking difficult.

Friday, October 25, 12-3pm

Saturday, October 26, 12-3pm

Friday, November 1, 12-3pm

Saturday, November 2, closed

Friday, November 8, 12-3pm

Saturday, November 9, 12-3pm

Sunday, November 10, 3-5pm Closing Reception

Full press release below

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About the exhibit:

“Retro-Speculative” is artist Nemo Gould’s deep dive into the remnants of the machine age. Painfully aware that we are surrendering our experiences to the virtual realm, Gould strives to pull us back to the tangible through the materials and craftsmanship of the pre digital era. The result is an array of incredible sculptures carefully crafted from found materials, ranging from fantastic creatures, to animated narratives, to reimaginings of the nature and intent of tools. As the title would suggest, “Retro- Speculative” explores several themes from Gould’s broad palette, all seeking to engage the viewer through visceral nostalgia, and offering speculations on where we are going based on where we have been.

About the artist:

Self-described “Chairman of the Hoard” Nemo Gould is a master accumulator, of both materials and building techniques alike.  His Oakland studio is a veritable museum of old objects and technology which he blends into his signature style of kinetic sculpture.  His work pushes the limits of found object art and challenges the viewer to experience art through interaction and experience.  Gould received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1998, and his MFA in sculpture from U.C. Berkeley in 2000.  His work is featured in museums and collections throughout the U.S. and abroad.

About the venue:

494 9th Street is a pop-up gallery in a vacant retail storefront in Oakland. As rents soar, and the arts struggle to thrive, the pop-up concept is an increasingly relevant method for connecting artists with their communities. Partnerships such as these between artists and developers are key to preserving the cultural heart of any city.  Please support this creative solution by joining us at the opening reception on October 19th.

For further information please visit: www.nemogould.com

 

 

I just added four new pieces to my portfolio section.  Heres a preview:

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The Fountain of L’oeuf

(44” x 20” x 20”)

It seems a large proportion of my work is finding solutions for problems that don’t exist.  In this case, I felt it was necessary to power six mechanical egg beaters with one crank.  It took some doing, but problem solved (L’oeuf is french for “the egg” by the way).

Materials:
Egg beaters, flex shafts, right angle gear boxes, brace drill, gears, aluminum, stainless steel.

 

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Ohmigod

(10” x 8” x 8”)

The eyes are vintage vacuum tubes (called Nixie tubes) displaying the symbols for Ohms and Volts.  Rotated at an angle and cycled back and forth, and they resemble blinking eyes.

Materials:

Nixie tubes, electrical meters, aluminum, motor, LEDs

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Metro-Gnome

13” x 23” x 6”

Oxygen flow meters painstakingly converted to mechanical solenoid power provide the eyes for this piece.  The brass face plate was textured by hand with a process known as engine turning.

Materials:

Clock, oxygen flow gauges, panel meter, brass, projector lenses, solenoids, LEDs

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Clear Transmission

9” x 7” x 3”

Materials:

Motorcycle brake assembly, digit counter, gears, motor, acrylic

OpenStudioWide

Hey people. I know it’s kinda last minute, but I wanted to invite you to an informal open studio in conjunction with the some of the other artists at Lost & Foundry Studios this Saturday, May 25 from 11-4.   While several of my pieces are on display at the Museum of Sonoma County right now, I still have quite a lot of work in the studio, including a few new ones that I haven’t yet had the opportunity to share. So, if you’re in the area, come say hi. 

319 Center Street, Oakland CA

 

Kinetics- Square

“To be identified as Kinetic Art it must contain movement. Motion can be generated through natural sources such as air currents, gravity, and light, or through interventions such as mechanical motors, electrical power, and human contact. Kinetics: Art in Motion presents contemporary California artists that continue these investigations, and whose works reflect a variety of styles and modes of movement.”

Featuring works by

Catherine Daley
Laurent Davidson
Chris Eckert
Mark Galt
Nemo Gould
Ned Kahn
Jerome Kirk
Thérèse Lahaie
Sean Paul Lorentz
Mark Malmberg
Martin Munson
Moto Ohtake
Bruce Shapiro
Camille Utterback

Museum of Sonoma County

425 Seventh Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Website and details: https://museumsc.org/kinetics/

 

“Loose Screws 2018”

I want to find as many ways to breathe life into found objects as I can. Usually this means kinetic sculpture, but I’ve always loved stop motion animation too (though I have almost no experience). I love making the little characters and seeing them come to life.  This figure evolved from a sewing machine lamp and bits of hardware. The sound for this clip was also cobbled together from junk around the studio.  I’m not sure how any of this will tie into my sculpture practice, but sometimes you have to just go with it………

 

2ndDimensionFlyerWideFullI’m very excited to announce that I’ll be having a solo exhibition of a whole new body of work at Lost & Foundry Gallery on Saturday October 13 from 6-9PM.  I’ve been working hard to produce a series of mechanical collage pieces just for the the show (a significant selection of older works will be on display as well).  I’ve posted several of them in my portfolio here, but I expect to finish a few more right before the show.  Lost & Foundry is in the adjoining building, so this event will also serve as an open studio for those who are interested in seeing my facilities and process.

Facebook event here.

Here is a quick preview of some of the new work:

 

 

Now that my solo show “Innovations in Obsolescence” is up, I have a chance to post photos and video of all the new work that I produced for this show.  Below is a small sample, but be sure to visit the portfolio section of this website to see them all.

Works still available for sale can be found here.

Deus Machina (125″ x 64″ x 50″)

Deus Machina 2017

Case Study (74″ x 48″ x 33″)

Case Study 2017

Stag Beetle (48″ x 39″ x 19″)

Stag Beetle 2017

Tool Studies 

Tool Studies 2017

Tyranny of the Masses (20″ x 40″ x 20″)

Tyranny of the Masses 2017

Excalibur (26″ x 32″ x 16″)

Excalibur 2017


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I’d like to thank everyone who came out to help make this show such a success!  If you missed it, there will still be a closing reception on Saturday November 18 from 3-5PM at Lost & Foundry Gallery: 305 Center Street, Oakland CA.

Below are a few selected images from the event.

I’ve also posted a full slideshow of images here.

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Tired of looking at pictures on the internet? Try looking at a real book!

This book is a survey of some of my favorite pieces from over the years 2000-2016.  Currently 80 pages in length, this catalog is updated roughly annually as new work is produced.

You can purchase a copy here, and find a full preview of the whole thing here.

 

Bookcover

Bookopen

InnovationsFull

 

UPDATE: There will be a closing reception for this exhibit on Saturday November 18, from 3-5PM!

 

Im very excited to announce that I’ll be having a solo exhibition in the gallery at Lost & Foundry Oakland, 305 Center Street, Oakland CA on October 21st from 6-9PM.

I’ve been developing this body of work over the last year, and as I write this I have 17 new pieces and counting!  I’m pretty sure I’ve never had so many pieces on display at one time (I’ll have some older work installed too).  If that isn’t enticing enough, my studio is in the adjoining building, so this will be an open studio event as well.

If you’re in the Oakland area, please come and experience this new work and the materials and processes that went into producing it.

Facebook event here.

 

 

On October 22, 2016 my first solo show in many years “Parts & Labor” opened at the On-Sight Project in Oakland, CA.  It was an honor to get to share this collection of work with so many enthusiastic people, in such a beautiful space.

Many thanks to Anja Ulfeldt for curating, and for taking the majority of these photos.

Below are a few highlights, click here to see a full slideshow.

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