About the Project and Jon Sachs
Strangely enough, I am starting my journey in sculpture at the advanced age of 72.
My career has been in photography, graphic design, video, and website creation.
But my recent involvement with bringing a sculpture park to Burlington, MA, where I live, has reminded me that I have been daydreaming about interactive sculptures for decades, probably back before MIT days, to the farm where I grew up. On a farm one tends to deal with mechanical things all the time.
So at this point I am putting most of my creative energy into making sculptures that people can have fun with.
As they say, better late than never.
You can learn more about my odd collection of interests and projects at my jonsachscollected website.
Are these things sculptures?
I don’t really care that much what they are called.
They are things, objects, that stand up and greet the observer and invite them to play.
I determine much about each sculpture’s form, but as much as I can to the viewer to modify.
If calling them sculptures doesn’t seem right call them installations. Or call them “those weird things that guy makes.”
What about classic, static sculpture?
It is wonderful, it is amazing. It’s different than what I am trying to do. Clearly, I could never carve marble like Michaelangelo, but that doesn’t seem like a reason to squelch my fascination with creating mechanical sculptures that people can enjoy.
Art Talk
I love art galleries and art museums. Seeing the classics, the new works, it’s all wonderful and I thrive on it.
But there is one aspect of the art world I can’t handle and that is the writing about the art. Some of it is very informative, but too often it strays into extremes of hyper-intellectual foolishness.
Here is a quote from an article in The Guardian about the problem of Art Talk:
“The artist brings the viewer face to face with their own preconceived hierarchy of cultural values and assumptions of artistic worth…”
Which is actually a pretty mild example of overblown art talk.
I promise that I will always talk about my work in the plainest language. I say things like, “I thought it would be interesting to have color on one side and black and white on the other.”
I will never decorate a skimpy work with fancy language.
The use of the URL www.sculpture-dot-fun is intentional. I am very serious about this work, but I want all my work to be serious fun.
Are the Works for Sale?
Maybe.
As an old guy starting out I have no illusions about selling work; I am doing this because I am utterly fascinated by doing it.
However, it does cost money to make sculptures, so were I offered money for one I would consider it.
Also, having somebody pay money means that they value the work, and I would appreciate that.