Metal Art by Robinson
Dean Robinson has worked in automotive manufacturing and industrial fabrication environments for many years and has produced his own unique style of artwork.
Celestial Beasts
Winged Celestial Beasts adorn pillars of the five elements: Air Earth Fire Water and Aether. The fifth element Aether is the material that fills the region of the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere.
What sparked the idea for the work you are exhibiting at SWELL this year?
Fourteen years ago I put some wings on a junk Harley engine I had and it sold instantly on eBay. I immediately started collecting more engine parts at swapmeets and eBay to get several engines happening in one display. It just took a decade to get all the engines completed, with the addition of some radical handbuilt stainless steel fuel delivery systems thrown in. The engines are not factory supercharged or twin turbocharged so I had to custom fabricate everything you see from scratch.
What’s something people might not realise about the process behind your work?
The stainless steel induction systems Ive designed and built for my engines could function if adapted for real working engines that were specifically built to handle the extra power. Winged Celestial Beasts was ideal to showcase my fabrication ability in a static art display.
What role does location or environment play in your sculptures?
The theme behind Winged Celestial Beasts is the 5 elements. In Western culture Air, Fire, Earth, Water and Aether (Spirit) blend together. The beachfront location is the ideal backdrop. The symbol for Fire is the Phoenix I took from Greek Mythology. The water lilly depicts Water from the Chinese culture version. Air is depicted in my version of clouds. The tree is symbolic of the Earth element. All have the sun incorporated into them. The scarab beetle is Egyption based and was chosen for my version of Aether. The Winged Celestial Beasts themselves are my version borrowed straight from the Bible which addresses Gods throne as being surrounded by winged creatures. And here they all are together.
Is there a moment or memory that shaped you as an artist?
A local radio station was running an art contest for airfares, accommodation and tickets to see the band ZZ Top play. I knocked out a two dimensional metal picture with a copper bearded guy in a hat holding a car key wearing polished stainless steel lensed glasses. It was silver soldered together with an oxy set. I won.
What keeps you coming back to sculpture as a form of expression?
To fund my own personal custom vehicle builds.
If you could install your work anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
It would be in my own 120,000 square foot workshop. Why? Because I dont have that workshop yet.
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Come and see for yourself at SWELL Sculpture Festival, Pacific Parade, Currumbin 12th – 21st September.