steampunk

My steampunk art pieces currently on tour in the Antipodean Steampunk Show.

Both pieces use found object material to create devices that are wearable, whimsical and non sensical (an air brake on a rocket pack?).

motorcycles

I also like to rebuild motorcycles. I first built a CB750F1, which was basically a cosmetic make over with no real consideration for performance. 

It was okay.

Then I decided I wanted to experience a true 'ground up' restoration or customisation - so I got hold of a 1965 Honda CB450 Black Bomber and rebuilt it to reasonably close to original, but with some modifications.

I wanted the finished bike to look like a Honda special edition cafe racer style CB450 that could have been released in the late 60's.

End result.

These excellent photos were taken by a friend of mine, Dave - who has a good eye for bikes.

So having built one bike, I now want to do more and explore how creative I can be whilst still being practical enough to ensure the end result can be ridden and enjoyed, rather than just parked and admired.

I would like to customise an old BMW.

steampunk

I have made a few steampunk styled things over the last decade or so, the first thing I ever consciously built as a specific steampunk device was this working computer.

Building this was fun, it challenged me to use materials in new ways, learn electronics and learn more about steampunk. Since building the computer, I have built about a dozen ray guns, other scientific devices, iPod players, rocket packs, goggles and stuff. 

The latest and biggest steampunk themed item I built was this.

This took me back to my set design and construction roots. A giant machine (about 5m tall and 3m wide)on stage for a theatrical production of 'The Woman in Black'. I worked on this with my dad and another talented artist Caleb Heinselman. It is a timber carcass fitted with found objects (lots of gauges). We had steam shooting from cracks in the pipes, working levers, a glowing fire in the grate and plasma lightning on the round white screen on the right of the unit. I guess this piece epitomised steampunk for me - theatrical, entertaining and atmospheric.

So right now I have two items on tour around Australia as part of the 'Antipodean Steampunk Show', and around 30 pieces in private collections. Don't know what I will make next, I have got a little lazy since building the set piece. I guess I am waiting for some steampunk inspiration.  

I would like to do a store interior though.

Drawn back into the mire

It seems that in order to learn more about the creative process of other people on their many projects - I must share.

I had a long relationship with steampunk via blogspot when I ran my 'austeampunk' blog, and a brief but exciting flirt with motorcycles as 'abstractmachine'.

Then I got all zen like and decided to remove my blogs and live more in the real world.

Well - it just can't be done, so I am back with a simple new blog with which to share creative output, both mine and yours.

More soon.

maduncle.