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Still Dreaming

MAY 14, 2019
Tommie loved testing his new helmet design in his bedroom on cold winter days. He liked the way it fit and he loved the way he looked when wearing it in front of his mirror. He made the helmet out of and old lemonade pitcher turned upside down and cut in half .His mama had given him this an other recyclables to play with. Tommie’s Grandpa was very nice to him as well, even though he did like to drink beer just a bit but he always saved all his beer caps for Tommie. And Tommie made the earphones for his helmet from his grandpa’s beer bottle caps they fit just right. Even as the cold winter wind blew outside his bedroom window Tommie had dreams of flying in space flying on his way to the moon!
We made history today when we launched the first “Chinese American Woman Astronaut” into space! we sent Mommy to look for and find Tommie! As with the United States, Russia, China, India, and now Israel we are very proud to state that we at “The Steam Powered Art Factory” have sent our second rocket ship into outer space. Launched from the shores of New Dorp Beach Staten Island New York in very light winds this past Saturday morning. With special help and great resect to the amazing French filmmaker Georges Melees
“Jacky the Quacky “Dutch A.I 1898 Designed as a night watchman for the Swiss National clock works factory a rare piece in that it employed very early wind technology .As well as two very fine Dutch lenses that could project images inside the factory walls of possible trespassers. The images that it viewed through in its two-eye camera like slots. When movement was detected at night on the factory grounds “Quacky” would make a loud crunching and barking sound kind of like a mad duck screaming. This was made possible with the edition of a very early mechanical motion dectetor as well as very fine Swiss clock works inside the head and mouth area. The snakes on “Quacky” represent the small white lies and half-truths that she would often spread about in a loud and angry manner of very intense noisy shatter. And if you look closely and notice the small wind blades how could a machine like this come out of Holland in the eighteen-century and not have a wind device on it. Holland the country that was one of the first to harness the winds power With its now famous windmills. These small blades generated a limited amount of power, but they are also a very strong visual effect to the onlooker as to stand back as they all spin very wildly and Quack speaks. Many now believe that “Jacky the Quacky” was a very early predecessor to todays “Siri” in A.I. home devices. PS a special shout here and a warm thank you to a fellow friend and fine artist for his thoughtfulness and kindness Peter Thibeault. Peter sent me several boxes of very fine old and rare metals from his hometown of Boston Mass .The wind blades were on the very top of this fine and amazing precious collection in his shipment of steel that he sent to the very base of my factory door.
The Da Vinci Flyer 1489 Little has been known until recently about Leonardo Da Vinci’s (1452 – 1519). almost strange and single focus obsession with the adventures of fellow Italian innovator and explorer Christopher Columbus (1451 –1506). Da Vinci made hundreds of drawing of Columbus’s three ships the Nina the Pinto and the Santa Maria. As well as he read every journal and record he cold get his hands on requarding Columbus’s journey of discovery. This was now all possible because at this point in Da Vinci’s life he had been invited to live in France by the king so he had more time to experiment and explore. The King of France had long been an admirer of all of Da Vinci’s work. In this piece Da Vinci actually made the base of his concept design a full on scale model of the Santa Maria, but he carefully added hot air boilers, wind sales, coal steam, and some form of mechanical engines in the form of propellers. Da Vinci was obsessed with exploring the heavens above rather of the new lands below here on earth. Both Da Vinci and Christopher Columbus shared the same inquisitive minds and a need to explore the yet unknown. The only difference was that Di Vinci by being an inventor was engaged in making the actual machines that would help mankind to go up and explore the heavens above. It has ben rumored that Staten Islands very own home town artist John Noble (1913–1983) when viewing this piece at the NY Metropolitan museum in nineteen sixty eight was drawn to laughter, this would have made a wonderful studio for me for sure. And as Lenardo Da Vinci told me very late last night my dear professor the best way to think and imagine is to simply let go to disconnect. You dream it, and then sketch it, and then you make it, so good luck my dear professor and above all else keep making please. But none of this would be possible with out the help of an ever-growing team of friends and admirers who both encourage and donate amazing materials. Gabriel Wettenstein a high-end re-cycler, Ed Arso neighbor, a tool and machine maker engineer, Peter Thibeault fellow artist with an eye for the really good materials and my neighbors Mike and Joy Cummings would drop off amazing boxes of grandmas old and unwanted silver coated plates and trays. This is a rather large sculpture measuring 36” high x 32” wide and 16” deep Composed of wood iron and steel, and made in the USA Art from “A Re-Imagined World” the on going series “Work Boats” (Sculptures and Prints by artist Chris Spollen}?
“Shaky the Flying Snakie “ A flying, talking, walking, and running early A. I. Holland 1884 Designed to both walk and talk, but he spoke with a forked tounge, hence the nickname “Snakie”. He always spoke with half-truths and white lies he would never tell the truth. Designed to sneak in and around Holland’s most productive and secretive factories to observe production formats and production ideas, and report back to the then highly competitive corporate Dutch leaders. Some confused him for a bird or a squirrel but in fact he was all was all ears and eyes stealing information from around every corner and window that he could find. It always amazing when an idea fly’s back in time into the minds eye and enters the creative pool and flow once again. This was an early etching print tilted “Spiral Thrust”. This image originally came to me in nineteen seventy seven but now its back in full three dimension mode, great fun to rekindle and fire it up in real life and all steel. From a current series of all metal “Retro Robot -ton s” old school European French English Dutch and Chinese early auto-ton A.I. {An All-metal Sculpture. Made in the USA}
The Robot-ton, “Pedro De La Tan” 1804 France The Robot-ton “Pedro De La Tan” presented to Napoleon Bonaparte of France After, he crowned himself emperor in 1804 Napoléon Bonaparte (1769 –1821) was a French statesman and military leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led several successful campaigns during the French Revolutionary Wars. It has been said that this was one of napoleons favorite possessions and that he would stare at it late into the evenings as he sipped his fine French wines. Although this Robot-ton, “Pedro De La Tan” was very limited in both movemet and sound Napoleon would love to stare at it as the inner workings as they spun and hummed. This Robot-ton clearly displays the ideas of a mathematical science and of motion that bring this work to full fruition, and reflect that the creator was clearly influenced by the work Sir Isaac Newton. Sir Isaac Newton 1642 – 20 March 27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author (described in his own day as a "natural philosopher") who is widely recognized as one of the most influential scientists of all time, and a key figure in the scientific revolution. Sir Isaac influenced many artisans in his mechanical ability and his skill in building models of machines, such as clocks and windmills. This is an all steel and hard wood sculpture measuring eighteen inches in height and fourteen inches in width, twelve inches in depth. This is a rare and classical example of one of a kind hand French craftsmanship of the eighteen hundreds and is a rare find. . This is another sculpture in artist and sculptor Chris Spollen’s ongoing series of sculptures entitled “Robots and Rocket Ships”
© 2024 Chris Spollen