This past Spring I helped teach a course on kinetic sculpture at…
October 25, 2013
This past Spring I helped teach a course on kinetic sculpture at Neighborhood Bike Works In West Philadelphia to a group of young bike enthusiasts, aged 8 to 16. I took part in the course as my community outreach project through the 40th Street Artist-in-Residence Program. The course culminated in the building of a giant moving bike-spider called Big Mama, which we “raced” in the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby in mid-May. It was a challenging but absolutely fulfilling experience which I’m so glad I had the opportunity to take part in!
The fabrication of the spider was an incredibly ambitious process, which the students took part in up until the last minute. Early on, we decided that the spider should have legs that moved independently, in the way a real spider would walk. We achieved this by mounting cranks on a pair of wheel chair wheels, which in turn pulled steel cables that were attached to the legs. The legs could be completely pulled in as needed - which was necessary on some of the more narrow North Philly streets. At one point during the ‘mud pit’ section of the race, one of the legs took out an unexpecting photographer. WHOOPS. The race was a blast, and Neighborhood Bike Works was well represented by the 20 or so volunteers and young riders.
Download our 24 song spider/bike/sculpture-themed playlist. And watch this slickly-edited short video that Jim Garvey put together about the class and the race.
| More: bikes, bikesculpture, kineticsculpture, kineticsculpturederby, metalfabrication, neighborhoodbikeworks, spider
Buckingham Place II, 2013. 11” x 18” x 2”. Laser-engraved…
October 22, 2013
Buckingham Place II, 2013. 11” x 18” x 2”. Laser-engraved frosted acylic, screen print and watercolor on salvaged wallpaper, reclaimed and unaltered wood planks.
(This is formal documentation of the work I completed during my year-long residency at 40th Street AiR in Philadelphia. The work was included in my exit show, The Past Is Over (June 2013), which showcased pieces made using a laser engraver, found/salvaged materials, and traditional printmaking processes.)
| More: assemblage, illustration, lasercut, laserengraved, reclaimedwood, screenprint
Rebuilding, 2013. 7”x 12”. Silkscreen on laser-cut panel, laser…
October 21, 2013
Rebuilding, 2013. 7”x 12”. Silkscreen on laser-cut panel, laser engraved acrylic panel, blue LED lights.
(This is formal documentation of the work I completed during my year-long residency at 40th Street AiR in Philadelphia. The work was included in my exit show, The Past Is Over (June 2013), which showcased pieces made using a laser engraver, found/salvaged materials, and traditional printmaking processes.)
| More: 40stairspace, assemblage, illustration, lasercut, lightbox, mikeharpring, nextfabstudio, Printmaking
Buckingham Place I, 2013. 13” x 20” x 3….
October 17, 2013
Buckingham Place I, 2013. 13” x 20” x 3. Laser-engraved acylic, white and blue LED lights, salvaged wallpaper, reclaimed wood frame.
Early Spring 2013 I went to a punk show at a friend’s house in West Philly. Everyone seemed to be coming out of hibernation and soaking up the Spring air and good vibes, and it marked a transition point for me. I found myself thawing out and starting to enjoy what would be an amazing season. Punk, nice weather, West Philly, friends… a perfect recipe.
(This is formal documentation of the work I completed during my year-long residency at 40th Street AiR in Philadelphia. The work was included in my exit show, The Past Is Over (June 2013), which showcased pieces made using a laser engraver, found/salvaged materials, and traditional printmaking processes.)
| More: assemblage, fineart, laserengraved, lightbox, mikeharpring, nextfab, nextfabstudio, Printmaking, punk, punktouring, reclaimed, repurposed, salvagedwood, troteclaser, westphiladelphia, westphilly
The Beast Creeps West, 2013. 24”x 24”. Silkscreen on…
October 16, 2013
The Beast Creeps West, 2013. 24”x 24”. Silkscreen on paper, laser engraved acrylic panel, red LED lights.
This is formal documentation of the work I completed during my year-long residency at 40th Street AiR in Philadelphia. The work was included in my exit show, The Past Is Over (June 2013), which showcased pieces made using a laser engraver, found/salvaged materials, and traditional printmaking processes.)