A-Impact
This sculpture series began as a question at a car swap meet filled with antique car parts and old men on a cold dreary morning in April.
The swap meet is a place where there are no barriers of age, a space to exchange information, a place keeper of American car culture, labor, and history to come alive with the color of memories and stories told by the experiences of old crotchety men. By some its used as a source of almost lost mechanical information, how to, and what not to do’s, and others tell tall tales, poke fun, and spin truths, all-in good-hearted fun. I look at the swap meet as mechanical museum of sorts, with the ability to purchase object of old, in an attempt to further their path of existence – that I call sculpture.
On that day Chad and I reacquainted ourselves with many we hadn’t seen in years, since the stop of all social events due to Covid.
While purchasing a set of 1930 hubcaps We met a vendor Dan Blake who said he had more parts available for 1930 model A Ford for sale that we needed for our Jalopy- called “The Saint”.
As we wandered from vendor to vendor -I found carburetor parts available from Mike Vincent who asked if I would be interested in a bucket of metal parts from Model A’s that were worn out- but could be made into something else.
Of Course- I said Yes……..
The following weekend was a freezing cold sleet-filled morning, we traveled to what felt like the middle of nowhere and met with Dan in a quasit hut garage filled with Model A and T parts from the early 1930’s, that were available for sale. Immediately I was struck by the coolest old model T snow truck and of course that spun into hearing the stories and looking at specific parts of history kept by Dan. This made me realize -a big part of this hobby is being the keeper of stuff both stories and objects!
After a few minutes, Dan and I realized that I had purchased boxes of hubcaps from him for an art project years earlier- which offered us a good chuckle.
After a while, Mike Vincent and his sidekick appeared with the crackle of laughter and chatter of one interesting story after another. Soon Mike offered me a small white bucket of worn-out Model A Ford parts. While asking do you think you can make something that’s representative of Model A’s out of these as he rubbed his chin, chuckled, and poked fun!
My question became could I take the parts and assemble experiences found in the events that surrounded collecting, building, maintaining, and driving, the Model A- Ford while capturing the enthusiastic fun I feel from the sport and the people.
Although I didn’t make sculptures that are cars, I believe I captured the spirit which is found in the sport of a Model A Ford Enthusiast. It accrued to me that this bucket of parts represents: fun, change, shift, time, action, comradery, and preservation of objects and knowledge.
When I got home, I spilled the parts out on the welding table and the rest of the story is found in the images attached. There are many other new sculptures that have not been photographed or edited so stop back.
I have had an overwhelmingly positive response to the sculptures, which I would post but I wrote everywhere in sketchbooks over the past 3 months and I now don’t have the time to find them – So judge yourself!