wooden sculptures by michael rea

back: (space capsule) ‘put a monkey in space if remo williams can’t do it,’ 2005 – wood, burlap, rope front: ‘in to the wild blue yonder,’ 2005. wood, burlap, pink-foam, audio

michael rea is a sculptor from the south suburbs of chicago who currently resides in milwaukee, USA. for most of his work rea uses wood to create life-size objects that often reference technology.

‘standing on the shoulders of other people’s dreams could perhaps be the most pathetic of all dreams.

the intent of my work is to create something short of its outcome. my goal is to create the idea of an object

that remains a dream. the objects I create are based on fictions, rather than realities. I have always been

interested in the ephemeral worlds established in film, or even in popular culture. fictions or established

hearsay allow for a flawed interpretation, which leads to a flawed result. the sublime is unattainable,

and not an option. I further amplify this experience by only using my memory to construct my images.

failure is imminent. I find humor allows me to enjoy this experience, and I in turn build humor into the

worlds established by my work. I have chosen to depict these states with unfinished wood, and other

materials which convey a sense of the temporal. I find the beauty in life lies in between moments.

my work offers a sense of what could be and what could never be simultaneously.‘ MR

‘brown thunder’ 2006 – wood, burlap, rope, pink-foam, casters

‘a prosthetic suit for stephen hawking w/ japanese steel’ 2007 – wood, rope, pink foam

M-16

‘wood load in’ 2004 wood, burlap, rope

‘who knew starman would answer back,’ 2005 – wood, burlap, rope

‘olympia” 2007. wood, burlap, rope, yarn

more

michael rea: http://www.mikerea.com read fecal face’s interview with rea from earlier this year