Ernest Miller is a good friend of mine who makes fabulous pottery.
The Rogue Buddha Gallery features my work regularly.
Very cool gallery in San Diego that I will be showing my work at soon.
Sculpture Walk Sioux Falls is a competition of outdoor sculpture that happens every May in downtown Sioux Falls, SD. I have had 5 pieces in 4 years of showing there and have won "Best in Show- Other Media" (2006) and "Best in Show Overall" (2008).
Best little small town gallery in the world! Larry Hunter's great little gallery in Cokato, MN is a great little place to visit and see some great work.
John Taylor's found object ships are far and above the best representations of classic ships done in a scrap object style.
Carey does some fantastic mixed media work.
Here's a friend and great sculptor of retro rocketship sculpture. He's a cool character from Naw'lins who makes great work.
Interview I did for Marianne Combs' blog.
This is a friend of mine who makes beautiful carved wooden objects and furniture.
Steve is a friend and a fabulous photographer.
Nemo is a great mixed media sculptor. Check his blog out via the "Applied Kinetic Arts" blog in the "Links" section.
Great gallery in downtown Louisville, KY run by a couple of excellent painters who happen to be mother and daughter.
I've got work in there gallery from November 4th- March 3rd, 2012.
I've got work in there gallery from November 4th- March 3rd, 2012.
Great review of my show at Garner Narrative.
I'm so happy he stepped outside of the usual "artist statement cut and paste" review that so many other media outlets do these days.
Check out the link, or read it below.
K!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Exhibit Review by Keith Waits: Kyle Fokken
Kyle Fokken at garner narrative contemporary fine art
Airway to Heaven, mixed media sculpture
Review by Keith Waits
Entire contents copyright 2011 by Keith Waits. All rights reserved.
When a young child grasps a toy in their hands, it is an object that sparks imagination and creativity. In that same way, Kyle Fokken’s sculptures become a catalyst for intellectual stimulation in the adult mind. Perhaps they trigger a return to childhood playtime: each is fundamentally a toy, a truck, an airplane, a construction crane. Yet these mixed media creations are also idiosyncratic mash-ups of form and function: the operator’s cabin on the construction crane is a ramshackle church – the crane arm protruding from beneath the façade and anchored by a chain that runs through a window, nearly an act of penetrative violence. The positioning of a house of worship as a vehicle of destruction is a provocative juxtaposition in an age when we witness religion as a foundation for terrorism.
But that impact is perhaps balanced by the contrasting image of another church structure serving as the fuselage of an airplane, lifting the spiritual into more traditional territory, albeit with the same idiosyncratic relationships of form and function.
In other pieces, the stylistic combinations are more complex and subtle, such as the steam-punk anamorphism of “Uptet (Babylonian Gunship),” a quadripedal creature that seems a cross between a camel and the family pet, but equipped with giant propellers ready to take the steel and wood construction aloft. Mr. Fokken’s work is filled with cultural references, and in this instance it is difficult not see something of the Imperial Walkers from Empire Strikes Back: they have the same tension between awkward, lumbering mass and graceful, intricate design.
The detail and craftsmanship are distinctive, and the found objects that Mr. Fokken incorporates never seem random or haphazard, but exactly the right choices for each piece. There is, however, one sculpture, “Difficult to Fathom,” that stands apart from the rest in this show. The merging of a church onto a submarine body is entirely consistent, but the dynamic placement of the contraption trawling across the scalp of a singularly annoyed sailor introduces a more straightforwardly comic image of a human face that could also be viewed as self-portrait. Whether or not the head bears any resemblance to the artist, the whimsical depiction of art emerging from the creative mind is unmistakable.
This three-dimensional exhibit represents something of a departure for this space, having devoted itself for years to largely two-dimensional work from its proprietor, Joyce Garner, and a few select others. But this past summer the gallery was renovated so that the space underwent small but crucial adjustments. Mr. Fokken’s work highlights the new environment and suggests a more ambitious mission for garner narrative that should prove welcome in what is already the busiest and most vital visual arts neighborhood in Louisville.
Difficult to Fathom, leather over wood, steel, found object
Wrecker (Church Series IV), acrylic paint over wood
Uptet (Babylonian Gunship) tempered scrap steel (soup, tomato cans) over wood, acrylic
garner narrative contemporary fine art
642 E. Market @ Clay
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 641-8086
garnernarrative@gmail.com
hours: Wed-Sat 1-6, First Friday Gallery Hop 1-9
http://www.garnernarrative.com
I'm so happy he stepped outside of the usual "artist statement cut and paste" review that so many other media outlets do these days.
Check out the link, or read it below.
K!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Exhibit Review by Keith Waits: Kyle Fokken
Kyle Fokken at garner narrative contemporary fine art
Airway to Heaven, mixed media sculpture
Review by Keith Waits
Entire contents copyright 2011 by Keith Waits. All rights reserved.
When a young child grasps a toy in their hands, it is an object that sparks imagination and creativity. In that same way, Kyle Fokken’s sculptures become a catalyst for intellectual stimulation in the adult mind. Perhaps they trigger a return to childhood playtime: each is fundamentally a toy, a truck, an airplane, a construction crane. Yet these mixed media creations are also idiosyncratic mash-ups of form and function: the operator’s cabin on the construction crane is a ramshackle church – the crane arm protruding from beneath the façade and anchored by a chain that runs through a window, nearly an act of penetrative violence. The positioning of a house of worship as a vehicle of destruction is a provocative juxtaposition in an age when we witness religion as a foundation for terrorism.
But that impact is perhaps balanced by the contrasting image of another church structure serving as the fuselage of an airplane, lifting the spiritual into more traditional territory, albeit with the same idiosyncratic relationships of form and function.
In other pieces, the stylistic combinations are more complex and subtle, such as the steam-punk anamorphism of “Uptet (Babylonian Gunship),” a quadripedal creature that seems a cross between a camel and the family pet, but equipped with giant propellers ready to take the steel and wood construction aloft. Mr. Fokken’s work is filled with cultural references, and in this instance it is difficult not see something of the Imperial Walkers from Empire Strikes Back: they have the same tension between awkward, lumbering mass and graceful, intricate design.
The detail and craftsmanship are distinctive, and the found objects that Mr. Fokken incorporates never seem random or haphazard, but exactly the right choices for each piece. There is, however, one sculpture, “Difficult to Fathom,” that stands apart from the rest in this show. The merging of a church onto a submarine body is entirely consistent, but the dynamic placement of the contraption trawling across the scalp of a singularly annoyed sailor introduces a more straightforwardly comic image of a human face that could also be viewed as self-portrait. Whether or not the head bears any resemblance to the artist, the whimsical depiction of art emerging from the creative mind is unmistakable.
This three-dimensional exhibit represents something of a departure for this space, having devoted itself for years to largely two-dimensional work from its proprietor, Joyce Garner, and a few select others. But this past summer the gallery was renovated so that the space underwent small but crucial adjustments. Mr. Fokken’s work highlights the new environment and suggests a more ambitious mission for garner narrative that should prove welcome in what is already the busiest and most vital visual arts neighborhood in Louisville.
Difficult to Fathom, leather over wood, steel, found object
Wrecker (Church Series IV), acrylic paint over wood
Uptet (Babylonian Gunship) tempered scrap steel (soup, tomato cans) over wood, acrylic
garner narrative contemporary fine art
642 E. Market @ Clay
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 641-8086
garnernarrative@gmail.com
hours: Wed-Sat 1-6, First Friday Gallery Hop 1-9
http://www.garnernarrative.com
Kyle Fokken at the Garner Narrative
14Nov11
Review by Mary Margaret Sparks
On November 4, while walking across the street for the downtown gallery hop, I noticed an interesting sculpture through the front window of the Garner Narrative Gallery. It was a beast-like creature made of mechanical parts resembling a robot. It was “Lord of the Rings meets Star Wars” and linked me back to my junior high and high school days. Being a lover of both sculpture and nostalgia, I was drawn into the gallery to view the rest of the work by Minnesota artist Kyle Fokken. His work takes a modern approach to antiques and machinery with works including everything from antique toy trucks to churches.
Works in the exhibition include “Airway to Heaven” a giant airplane and “Wrecker (Church Series IV)” a church building attached to a wrecker crane. Both sculptures include functional and kinetic aspects such as lighting and are composed of many small parts including bike chains. The artist fuses materials together to create unique images reflecting on war, childhood, religion, fantasy, memories,etc.
On close observation, it’s obvious the dedication that Fokken takes when choosing how to construct each sculpture. Each work is handcrafted not only in its build but also in its appearance. The patina work is beautiful and the artist’s use of color adds a vibrancy to the wood and metal. His fascination with history and society create for a unique 3-dimensional show.
My work is based on a love of antique toys as viewed from a modern perspective. We are naturally drawn to relics of days gone past. In my artwork, I fuse this nostalgia with “visionary” art – art often made by people using scrap material and rough construction. Like these artists, I’m not a “junk sculptor” because my focus is not on the found object itself, but on how I can use objects to fulfill my vision. I employ this technique as a metaphor implying the bond between generations “making do” with available materials and the cultural legacy of values and ideals. (Kyle Fokken Artist Statement)
The exhibition is free to the public and will be up during the December First Friday Gallery Hop on December 2 from 6-9PM. The exhibition runs through January. Garner Narrative Gallery is located at 642 E. Market Street.
The Kyle Fokken exhibition is the third for the Garner Narrative a new endeavor for artist Joyce Garner and her daughter Angie Reed Garner. Initially the Garner Furnish Studio, the gallery closed in early 2011, renovated and re-opened as Garner Narrative Contemporary Fine Art. They began representing artists in September 2011.
Garner Narrative is accepting proposals for exhibitions; with the focus on contemporary narrative art in any media. They have two gallery spaces — one quite large and then another scaled for more intimate work — as well as four window spaces viewable from Clay Street perfect for wall-mounted installations.
Learn more about Garner Narrative Contemporary Fine Art
14Nov11
Review by Mary Margaret Sparks
On November 4, while walking across the street for the downtown gallery hop, I noticed an interesting sculpture through the front window of the Garner Narrative Gallery. It was a beast-like creature made of mechanical parts resembling a robot. It was “Lord of the Rings meets Star Wars” and linked me back to my junior high and high school days. Being a lover of both sculpture and nostalgia, I was drawn into the gallery to view the rest of the work by Minnesota artist Kyle Fokken. His work takes a modern approach to antiques and machinery with works including everything from antique toy trucks to churches.
Works in the exhibition include “Airway to Heaven” a giant airplane and “Wrecker (Church Series IV)” a church building attached to a wrecker crane. Both sculptures include functional and kinetic aspects such as lighting and are composed of many small parts including bike chains. The artist fuses materials together to create unique images reflecting on war, childhood, religion, fantasy, memories,etc.
On close observation, it’s obvious the dedication that Fokken takes when choosing how to construct each sculpture. Each work is handcrafted not only in its build but also in its appearance. The patina work is beautiful and the artist’s use of color adds a vibrancy to the wood and metal. His fascination with history and society create for a unique 3-dimensional show.
My work is based on a love of antique toys as viewed from a modern perspective. We are naturally drawn to relics of days gone past. In my artwork, I fuse this nostalgia with “visionary” art – art often made by people using scrap material and rough construction. Like these artists, I’m not a “junk sculptor” because my focus is not on the found object itself, but on how I can use objects to fulfill my vision. I employ this technique as a metaphor implying the bond between generations “making do” with available materials and the cultural legacy of values and ideals. (Kyle Fokken Artist Statement)
The exhibition is free to the public and will be up during the December First Friday Gallery Hop on December 2 from 6-9PM. The exhibition runs through January. Garner Narrative Gallery is located at 642 E. Market Street.
The Kyle Fokken exhibition is the third for the Garner Narrative a new endeavor for artist Joyce Garner and her daughter Angie Reed Garner. Initially the Garner Furnish Studio, the gallery closed in early 2011, renovated and re-opened as Garner Narrative Contemporary Fine Art. They began representing artists in September 2011.
Garner Narrative is accepting proposals for exhibitions; with the focus on contemporary narrative art in any media. They have two gallery spaces — one quite large and then another scaled for more intimate work — as well as four window spaces viewable from Clay Street perfect for wall-mounted installations.
Learn more about Garner Narrative Contemporary Fine Art
Here's some more great press via a funky little 'can do' blog by the 'Tinplate Girl'.
Check it out!
Check it out!
