10 Dec Scout
This one demonstrated an increasing interest I had in blurring the distinction between creatures and machines.
Archive
10 Dec Feline
This was a return to mixed materials after a long period of focusing on aluminum only. It would not be the last time I used a saw handle as a cats head.
10 Dec Bike
Here is the first of what would become a series of push-toys. There is something very satisfying about a machine that needs no power source other than your attention.
10 Dec Solution for Violin
This was an exercise where I set out to “fix” a badly damaged violin. The challenge was to resist the temptation to create another figure or creature and come up with a formal composition instead. None the less I think it still looks vaguely like a rooster.
10 Dec Hearth Attack
This monster features a faux fire place in his belly. Perhaps the first wood burning robot ever invented! Standing at nearly 5 feet tall with kinetic arms and mouth, he is excellent for home security or romantic evenings.
10 Dec Soldier
Not much to say about this little guy, I just felt he deserved a page of his own.
10 Dec Detritus Ascending
This piece is an homage to religious art in all its variety. The winged figure in the center gradually ascends and descends between Paradise and the Underworld, while figures symbolizing power and wealth maintain balance to each side.
10 Dec Dirt Devil
This one gets its name from the many vacuum cleaner parts that went into its construction (a theme which you’ll find in many of my earlier pieces). Turn the crank and it tries to fly away.
10 Dec Dance Partner
This piece was built while I was a graduate student at U.C. Berkeley. I was finding the social environment a little stale, and set out to build some company.
10 Dec Goliath
Goliath is one of my most well known sculptures. Originally built as part of my MFA show at U.C. Berkeley, he was later purchased by a private collector and installed in his front yard in San Francisco. Unfortunately Goliath’s anatomical correctness roughly equated his political incorrectness and his new neighbors took violent action against him. The damage was not dire however, and the sculpture was re-built. The video above shows Goliath in his original context as part of my MFA show, and then later at his permanent home.
10 Dec Funnel
This one is still a favorite of mine. Very simple, but in my opinion effective.
06 Dec Dis-Assemble
This was a study in joinery. The objects in the foreground could be assembled to form the shape shown in the paintings.
22 Mar Chomp
This was one of my first kinetic pieces, built while I was an undergraduate at the Kansas City Art Institute. The carved wooden jaws snap open and shut as the piece rolls across the floor. This sculpture was purchased by the American Compressed Steel corporation for winning their art from salvaged materials competition.
05 Dec “Natural Selection” exhibit, May 2012
“Natural Selection” was the second exhibit at Lost & Foundry gallery in my studio compound in Oakland CA. The show featured building residents Jesse Small, Jeremy Mayer and myself, as well as Scott Hove and Aimee Baldwin. The show opened to the public May 11, 2012.
05 Dec Open Make: The Exploratorium S.F. April 2012
I’ve been visiting The Exploratorium in San Francisco since I was very young so it was a real pleasure to have the opportunity to give a short presentation as part of their “Open Make” program.
Other speakers that day were Jeremy Mayer, Paul Spooner (a long time hero of mine), Sudhu Tewari, and Catherine McEver.
05 Dec MSN feature with Tanya Holland, November 2011
MSN recently produced a little travel segment about Oakland. I was asked to show Tanya Holland of Brown Sugar Kitchen around my studio and then take a little tour around town. She then returned the favor in her own segment. Check it out!
If the video below isn’t behaving properly, here is a direct link:
05 Dec Interview for KOFY TV 20, April 2011
Here is a quick interview I did on KOFY’s “Creepy KOFY Movie Time” show (TV20 – Cable 13 SF Bay Area).
05 Dec Popular Mechanics South Africa, January 2011
Popular Mechanics South Africa did a nice feature on metal artists. This included Christopher Conte, Lawrence Northey, Jeremy Mayer (cover) and myself.
18 Dec “Mad Science”, Sonoma County Museum, October 2010
It was an honor to be included this terrific show alongside:
Alan Rorie, Reuben Margolin, Mark Pauline (SRL), Ned Kahn, Michael Cooper, and Andrew Sofie.
18 Dec “Machinations” 5 Claude Lane, July 2010
This was a small three person show I put together at 5 Claude Lane Gallery with my good friends Jeremy Mayer, and Benjamin Cowden.
The video is from an informal artists talk that we did, moderated by David Pescovitz (BoingBoing).
05 Dec KPBS Radio interview: Device Gallery, May 2009
Angela Carone of KPBS radio in San Diego just did a nice piece about the “It Moved” show at Device Gallery. She spoke briefly with both Greg Brotherton and myself. Play the file above to hear it or click here to see the transcript and photos from the radio stations web site.
(Above photo: Greg Brotherton and his “Pushed Around” sculpture by Angela Carone)
05 Dec TV50: Robots show, Sonoma County Museum, January 2009
Here is short piece that TV50 did about the Robots: Evolution of a Cultural Icon show while it was at the Sonoma County Museum.
05 Dec Interview for Upper Playground 2008
Alexander Tarrant from Upper Playground came to my studio to do an interview a while back. I think he did a really good job at getting me talking about my process and showing how I spend my time in the studio.
05 Dec Discovery Channel: “Prototype This”, October 2008
In 2008 I had the honor of working on the Discovery Channel show “Prototype This!”. The project at hand was to build an interactive boxing video game, but without the video part. The idea was that human boxers would throw their punches in the air and a pair of Giant metal avatars would do the dirty work in the ring. The regular cast of the show was more than capable of designing and building such a system, but they fell a little short in the appearance department. I was brought in to help design the look of the robots with my usual arsenal of scrap metal objects. The show ran about 45 minutes and can be seen on Netflix now if you are a subscriber. There are also some clips on Discovery’s site.
For those with shorter attention spans I have edited the episode down to 7 minutes (giving myself particular emphasis) above.
05 Dec NPR: Day by Day, July 2008
National Public Radio recently took a look at the maker movement in California as part of their “Day by Day” program. They focused mostly on the exploits of Mr. Jalopy, and Dale Dougherty of Make magazine, but I got a few words in too. An interesting story, click below to listen to a recording of the program.