Ingenious Imagination: Statues Formed from Recycled Metal
Even as he grew up outside of Portland, Ore., artist Brian Mock demonstrated a knack for creativity. He fashioned drawing pads from discarded paper he salvaged from waste bins at the print shop where his father was employed, and constructed bird feeders from splintered fence boards he discovered along the roadside. These early endeavors established the groundwork for Mock’s present artistic practice, which continues to revolve around repurposing found materials. However, what has changed is that Mock now favors scrap metal.
Since the 1990s, Mock has amassed metallic items such as cutlery, gears, and nails from receptacles at machine, auto, and recycling facilities. Instead of throwing these materials away, Mock revitalizes them, carefully welding them into a variety of inventive, whimsical, and sometimes surprising shapes. One of his recent sculptures, for example, illustrates a (literally) “heavy metal” guitar, reaching nearly 6 feet in height. The fact that the guitar weighs an impressive 100 pounds is unsurprising, given the dense, interlocking mesh of metal components that make it up. Throughout his work, Mock integrates everything from wrenches, screws, and pipes to scissors, metal sheets, and bolts, culminating in a distinctly industrial aesthetic.
“Revitalizing old, everyday items into a cohesive sculpture is an artistically challenging, yet rewarding, endeavor,” Mock shared with My Modern Met in an interview last year. “My aim is to highlight resourcefulness and foster viewer interaction.”
If “viewer interaction” is Mock’s objective, he undoubtedly achieves it, as his sculptures invite thorough examination. His sculpture of Shiva serves as a particularly fitting example, where the Hindu deity nearly overflows with intricate details. In this piece, Shiva’s forehead is adorned with gears and a central jewel, his hair cascades down to his shoulders as thick wire, his ribs emerge as metallic coils, and six arms extend from his form. Those arms might be the sculpture’s most captivating feature, as each hand grips a different object, whether it’s a coffee cup, computer mouse, or cellphone. The arms themselves are embellished with lockets, bracelets, and bangles, further enticing close observation.
“I dedicate a significant amount of time to perfecting the details,” Mock stated in an interview with American Lifestyle. “I believe that’s what brings sculptures to life—when I can nail the exact shape of a nostril or a muscle.”
To discover more about the artist, visit Brian Mock’s website and follow him on Instagram.
For years, artist Brian Mock has been creating detailed sculptures made entirely from scrap metal that he collects.
These artworks invite close inspection, featuring everything from wrenches, screws, and pipes to scissors, metal sheets, and bolts.
For Mock, scrap metal is not just his chosen medium; it is also a means to remain resourceful in a world rich with surplus.
Brian Mock: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to showcase photos by Brian Mock.
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