The first Roger Wood piece I saw was one of his dome clocks, and I never really got over my disappointment at realizing that it wasn’t a gloriously overcomplicated clockwork timepiece, but only an off-the-shelf electric clock with a bunch of random brass bits attached to it.
I like steampunk as an aesthetic, but the “glue a bunch of gears to a common item” approach just seems lazy to me.
I came here to say “Cargo Cult”, but you already covered my talking points.
This Steampunk crap again. Vacuum tube? Check. Analog gauge? Check. Candlestick holder for a barrel? Che… wait, what?
In defense of Mr. Wood and his work, he creates thoroughly unique, very well designed and evocative pieces. He also has a massive catalog of sculptures to his credit.
Technically labeled under “assemblage art” but appealing to Steampunk enthusiasts very early on. He certainly did not recently “jump in” on a current genre, as his works have been actively collected and copied the world over.
“assemblege art” only works for me, if the parts used are not instantly recognizable. In this case my first thought is… “oh…candlestick” which to me is no different than my reaction being “oh…spray painted nerf gun”.
@Chris. Yes, I get what you’re saying. However, in my own personal opinion, Wood uses these recognizable parts to create something wholly different. His final pieces artfully transcend the individual components.
That gobbledygook-gook said, I’m really just a very big fan of his work anyway.
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