Berkshire Museum
Pittsfield, MA
413-443-7171
http://www.berkshiremuseum.org/
Springs, Sprockets, &
Pulleys: Steve Gerberich's Mechanical Sculptures
July 7 - October 22, 2000
Press a button or crank a wheel, and with
a whirring hum, Steve Gerberich's sculptures come to life. An orchestra
of mechanical musicians--including an accordionist constructed from an old-time
roller-press washing machine and a saxophonist with an overturned teapot
head and a ribcage made of curved table legs--swings and sways to the purr
of simple motors. A flock of decoy geese flap overhead with open suitcase
wings. A wooden cow with hooves clad in high-top sneakers is milked endlessly
by an over-enterprising farmer. (left: "What a Catch! - Artist
Steve Gerberich and Friend")
These and other clever sculptures are on view at The Berkshire
Museum in Pittsfield, MA from July 7 - October 22, 2000. "Springs,
Sprockets, & Pulleys: Steve Gerberich 's Mechanical Sculptures"
is a 4,000 square-foot exhibition featuring 50 pieces designed and created
by the sculptor over a twelve year period. Gerberich refers to his work
as "simple machines that move ideas" and his sculptures subtly
explore themes as diverse as mass production, ecology, hunting and the evolution
of baseball. Most of all, Gerberich's sculptures are designed to delight
people of all ages.
"We are so pleased to have the opportunity to present
this major retrospective of Steve's sculptures," says Sharon Blume,
Museum Director and organizer of the exhibition. "What attracted us
to Steve's work is that it is great art and highly accessible to a general
public. We know that everyone who comes to see the exhibition will just
love it."
"The thing about my mechanical work is recognizing
the pieces that people grew up with, the nostalgic value of something I've
cut in half and used in some other sense, inverted it or changed it,"
Gerberich says. He invites audiences to do much more than observe, too,
encouraging them to interact with his sculptures by pulling levers and turning
cranks that set the surprising works in motion.
"Springs, Sprockets, & Pulleys: Steve Gerberich
's Mechanical Sculptures" is being produced for tour to museums across
the country. The exhibition will be designed by Amy Reichert Architecture
+ Design with graphic art design by Winstanley Associates. The team worked
successfully under Blume's direction in the creation of last year's blockbuster
exhibition Kid Stuff: Great Toys from our Childhood which is currently
on national tour through 2004.
Read more about the Berkshire
Museum in Resource Library Magazine
Please click on thumbnail images bordered by a red line
to see enlargements.
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Press a button or crank a wheel, and with
a whirring hum, Steve Gerberich's sculptures come to life. An orchestra
of mechanical musicians--including an accordionist constructed from an old-time
roller-press washing machine and a saxophonist with an overturned teapot
head and a ribcage made of curved table legs--swings and sways to the purr
of simple motors. A flock of decoy geese flap overhead with open suitcase
wings. A wooden cow with hooves clad in high-top sneakers is milked endlessly
by an over-enterprising farmer. (left: "What a Catch! - Artist
Steve Gerberich and Friend")