Rich & Gail Paselk

Rich's Junk Art

6th Annual Junk Art Competition (Fall 2000)

For this competition I entered two pieces:

• First, I came to the conclusion that a scientific instrument which has been obsolete for over four centuries becomes more art than science. Since I had constructed my Torquetum from mostly recycled materials, I replaced the couple of new parts with recycled parts to give a 100% recycled object to fulfill the requirements of the competition and entered it. Unfortunately I found out after the competition that folks couldn't believe it was actually 100% recycled - it looked too good! (When I picked it up the curator asked me about it and was surprised when I started listing off the sources. Something good did occur, however. As a result of my piece and that of another artist the competition started requesting an artists statement of materials and methods beginning with the 2001 competition.) You can explore this piece and its construction in detail at my instrument site under Torquetum.

• My second project resulted from my acquisition of a beautiful copper ball-float. Combining it with a military surplus bronze gear resulted in a model solar system which I named Jared's Star after my grandson. The label used at the exhibit is reproduced below:

The piece also included a "story" on a label on the base:

Planetaria This object was found on the single planet of Jared's star in the globular cluster M13 by the third cluster planetary expedition. It was apparently constructed by the late post-collapse society as a model or religious object. It represents the dying central star with the oblate planet in its close artificial orbit, and the small artificial sun constructed by the so-called "wizards of M13" when they had somehow destroyed their own sun. Musea Galactica acquisition number: M13-2454-pal390009238576

After the competition I replaced the base on the solar system model with one I made from a piece of hardwood my daughter Laura reclaimed from a winery where she worked. A close up image of the newly mounted piece is provided below:

7th Annual Junk Art Competition (Fall 2001)

For this competition I entered a single piece. The "artist statement" displayed with the piece is reproduced below.

Ringed Gas Giant Planet Richard A. Paselk I purchased the center of this piece, the float, years ago because of its beauty. This exhibition inspired the creation of a sculpture based on it. The piece has its roots in Renaissance models made for the parlors of wealthy patrons. While primarily a model for a planetary investigation in the far future, it is decorated with personally symbolic icons (male, female, & time) around the skirt of the stand. Planet assembly: Large copper float, bronze pump impeller, large bronze ring seal, salvaged brazing rod pieces, cap-screws from hard drive. Satellite assembly: Hard drive magnetic coil, precision heliometer solar cell, sapphire piston from high pressure pump, brass adding machine pulley, copper-nickel disk cut from 4" dia. pipe stock. Stand: Brass drive shaft (turned), bronze pump impeller, cast iron regulator cover, 3 cast iron radiator brackets, 3 copper-finish bunk-bed bolts and nuts. My methods of assembly include machining (drilling, threading with tap and die, lathe turning) and silver soldering. Components were cleaned and "polished" with a wire brush or steel wool and waxed.

Two "close-ups" of the piece are provided below:

Projects: Arts, Crafts etc.

Last modified 13 November 2008

© R. Paselk 2001