Dan Grayber

Dan Grayber's sculptures look like something you would find in a mechanical engineering lab at some university, or perhaps in an R&D department at Caterpillar, Inc. The abundance of springs, cables, chains, pulleys, thread forms and structural beams painted in yellow makes them highly interesting to look at.  All of them use the physics of compression, tension, leverage and friction to provide mechanisms for the self-sufficient support of each sculpture within its environment. You'll find them wedged inside glass domes, clinging to corners, and stuck into vertical walls. 

I really love how these sculptures first captivate you with their mix of complex beauty and industrial workmanship, and then puzzle you as you try to figure out how all of the pieces function together to make it work.  The punch line comes when you begin to wonder what would happen if a cable or a spring failed, or a rubber pad slipped, and all of the potential energy in the piece was suddenly liberated.  I had to chuckle over one comment that Dan made about one of his sculptures having some "issues with gravity"

Good stuff.  Be sure to check out Dan's website for more....

Bongue Amplifier by Studio Toer

I don't quite understand how this "Kinetic Amplifier" works, but I love the way it looks and moves!

See more, including a video here, at MoCo Loco

Robert B. Howard

"Multiple Compass" - Robert B. Howard                        Photo by Ian Reeves

I really like this mobile by Robert Boardman Howard (1896 - 1983).  This article describes the propeller-like sculpture as being black, with dark blue blotches painted on it, suggesting the markings on military aircraft.

Here is another one of his sculptures at the San Francisco MOMA:

This sculpture is entitled "Ram".  The photo does not convey the mammoth size of this sculpture, which is listed in the SFMOMA website as being 117 inches (nearly 10 feet) tall!  It appears that the three-legged geometric shape is free to rotate on the bulbous black base.

Here is another sculpture in wood, also at the SFMOMA, which I like the best of the three.  It is called "Semaphore".

photo by Marsi - via Flickr

Here is a picture that I found of a party in his studio.  You can see some interesting mobiles and stabiles.  Hey, that guy on drums looks like Bobby Kennedy!

I've tried to find more information about this artist via the Internet without much success.  Wikipedia mentions his name as being one of the Coit Tower muralists from the California School of Fine Arts.  Since there is also a painting in the holdings at the SFMOMA I suspect this is the same artist.  I also found this memorial on the Internet but it appears to be about another artist with the same name - his birth/death dates do not match the dates listed in SFMOMA and there is no mention of Coit Tower or any involvement with San Francisco.

Do you know anything about Robert B. Howard?   Leave a comment if you do!

Metropolis II, by Chris Burdon

This kinetic sculpture by Chris Burdon is amazing. 
 I love the concept, and it is obvious that no expense has been spared in producing it.

Watch the video here

"Sprinzelfish" hanging mobile

"Sprinzelfish" - hanging mobile by Unigami

Hello Mobile

"Hello" - hanging mobile by Unigami

It only took a few minutes to make this. It's fun to watch the various letter combinations 

that appear as it moves around...I may experiment with this a bit more...

Alexander Calder papers at the Smithsonian

In 1963, Alexander Calder donated a collection of photographs, news-clippings, sketches, correspondence, and other personal documents including a passport and address book to the Smithsonian Institution. The stack of papers measured 2.5 feet tall and was microfilmed shortly after receipt.

This collection has been digitized, and is available for viewing online at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.

Alexander Calder papers: 1926 - 1967

I spent well over an hour browsing this collection and I highly recommend that you check it out if you are a Calder fan. I especially enjoyed the family photographs and some of the news-clippings that were reviews of various exhibits from early in Calder's career. Many of these are in French...I wish I could read them!