I wrote in an earlier post about how I might proceed if I lost my ability to see which is the primary sense I use in my work. I felt I would somehow move on in some form creatively. I saw this fellow’s work yesterday and knew that my assertions could be correct.
Above is a 1955 Mercedes made by Russell Schermer out in California. Russell has been blind since birth and has been a fan of cars since he was a youth. He has a collection of model cars that he replicates by feeling each detail then transferring it to clay. The result is recognizable but it’s the wavering from exactitude that I find appealing. It’s like seeing the car in a parallel universe, where lines and shapes are just not quite right but close enough to allow your mind to translate them fully.
There is an interesting sense of rightness in his work. I get the feeling that I could be a claymation figure and could jump in any of these cars and go down the road as the dimensions of the car and everything around it were constantly shifting just a little bit.
I think the imperfections in them are perfect expressions. My hat is off to Russell for his work and for jumping over his obstacles. Good work. To see his website, Russell’s Relics, click on any of the cars shown here.
I don’t know if Russell’s work qualifies as folk art but I have a longtime friend, Paul D’Ambrosio, that would know. Paul has started a new blog, American Folk Art @ CGP, as a vehicle for discussion of folk art. Paul is vice-president and curator of the New York State Historical Association (NYSHA), heading the Fenimore House Museum in Cooperstown. He also teaches at the Cooperstown Graduate Program for museum studies. So he knows a little bit about his field which is American folk art. Anyway, if you’re interested in folk art please check out his blog. I think you’ll find lots of info.
Redtree Times 