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Local artist “VGL” to have piece at CCAE show this weekend


Escondido artist Vandegraaff Gearheardt of Vandegraaff Gearheardt Laboratories (VGL) will exhibit “The Prisoner of Time,”  at the Reuse Recreate Reimagine show at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, April 8 – May 28 (see separate article on the show this issue.)

In “The Prisoner of Time,” every two minutes the hourglass turns while a metronome constantly ticks and tocks. Then all of a sudden the hands of the alarm clock spin, the lights go on, an alarm bell rings and the prisoner awakens and sits upright. As Vandegraaff often does, this piece fires the imagination while stimulating the senses of sight and sound.

VGL will also exhibit two never-before-seen pieces that he describes as a confluence of art and technology at ArtExpo New York, April 21-25.

According to Vandegraaff, “We have built assemblages combining old items with new technology for many years but never felt comfortable in an existing niche. So we have invented the term “Sensational Assemblages” to describe our medium and have set out on a bold adventure to define this space.” The work is a mishmash of old clocks and radios, some with 25,000V arcs, a Tesla coil, plasma balls, neon, sound displays, Bluetooth and USB chargers.

Vandegraaff Gearheardt is a second-generation award-winning artist and the creator of Sensational Assemblage, the fusion of art and sensory elements. Many VGL pieces are reminiscent of the science fiction universe of steampunk.

Electronics and 1890s bespoke craftsmanship with intricate brass and wood detailing, along with the addition of “weird science” expand the viewer’s sensory bandwidth with light, sound and motion. Adding a dollop of utility, perhaps with a backwards-running clock or Bluetooth music player, transports this work from the steampunk universe into the present day and allows for fantastic backstories that fire the imagination while stimulating the senses of sight and sound.

Contact

Vandegraaff Gearheardt at 408-250-1762

or v.gearheardt@gmail.com

or visit www.v-gearheardt.com/

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