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I think my work
is a mixture of:
1
cup Duchamp
3 teaspoons Calder
2 tablespoons Kienholz
1/2 cup Cornell
1 pound Rauschenberg
and a sprinkle of Tinguely
Photograph
by : M.A.Haggerty/FCT
A
painter and photographer by training, Iowa-born sculptor Steve
Gerberich cites Marcel Duchamp, Alexander Calder, and Paul Klee as
inspirations for his work. Looking at a simple teapot,
Gerberich sees a face, ready for the addition of eyes made of nuts and
bolts, and ears fashioned out of faucet handles. A small blade reminds
him of a friend's eyebrows. In his hands, the hood of a bright red lawnmower
becomes the body of a razor-jawed
sea creature with the addition of two light bulbs as beaming eyes.
And by pushing buttons and turning cranks, Gerberich invites audiences
to set works in motion.
Constructed
from materials such as old machine parts, kitchen utensils, pieces of
furniture, lighting fixtures, medical supplies, and toys and carnival
figurines, Gerberich's work offers viewers a unique way to interact
with contemporary sculpture and explore the principles of simple mechanical
motion
Ger-zillions of people have
experienced Gerberich's large-scale exhibitions.
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Press a button or crank a wheel and Steve Gerberich's sculptures come to life. A flock of decoy geese overhead flap open suitcase wings. A wooden cow with hooves clad in high-top sneakers is milked endlessly by an over-enterprising farmer. These and up to 28 other witty motion machines are the wildly successful traveling exhibition Springs, Sprockets & Pulleys: The Mechanical Sculptures of Steve Gerberich.
Constructed from old machine parts, kitchen utensils, pieces of furniture, lighting fixtures, medical supplies, toys and carnival figurines, Gerberich's work offers viewers a unique way to interact with contemporary sculpture, explore the principles of simple mechanical motion or simply ponder the remarkable inventiveness of his art.
An introduction with signage on a pallet provides an overview of the exhibition and Gerberich's background. A ten by thirteen foot black and white photomural of Gerberich in his studio provides an inside look at the artist's amazing workspace. Gerberich quotes hang throughout the exhibit to share the artist's thought process with visitors.
Custom "Gerb-O-Matic" products can be made available for sale in museum gift shops.
Previous Venues:
Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ, Museum of Life & Science, Durham NC; Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, NY; Fresno Metropolitan Museum, Fresno CA; Stamford Museum & Nature Center, Stamford CT; Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield MA; Waterloo Center for the Arts, Waterloo, Iowa.
Springs, Sprockets & Pulleys set many Museum attendance records and made it’s debut at Grand Central Terminal, New York City.
"Springs, Sprockets & Pulleys:
The Mechanical Sculptures of Steve Gerberich"
Muscatine Art Center
1314 Mulberry Avenue
Muscatine, Iowa
March 14, 2010 - December 31, 2010
muscatineartcenter.org
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Gerberich’s Springs, Sprockets & Pulleys traveling exhibition is now represented by:
Allison Savicz
asavicz@w5insight.com
919.923.2791
"When my twins were about 3 1/2 years old I drove them way out to the Morris Museum TWO times because all 3 of us were utterly wow'ed and amazed and delighted with your Springs, Spockets & Pulleys exhibit. Of all the different museums, galleries, shows, concerts, aquariums and kid-related events, I felt and still feel SS & P was the most important and meaningful outing we ever had. I called and emailed all my friends (even in Connecticut) and told them that your exhibit was an absolute must see."
Victoria, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
"We just got back from your exhibit in Muscatine Iowa - SUPER - CRAZY - UNBELIEVABLE - FUNNY!!!
My husband and I took my mom (89 yrs) and dad (93 yrs). They had such a great time, and we did, too. My dad is an electrician (still working!) and kept saying, 'Where did he get all those motors?!?!?' Both of them had fun reminiscing whenever they saw an old utensil - it almost was like an "I Spy" game for them. Thank you for helping make the memory of this mother's day a very enjoyable one."
Anna, Wellman, Iowa.
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