Steven Gray Kaleidoscope Copper Camp

Description

Steven Gray Kaleidoscope Copper Camp is a look into the coppery world from bright copper, silver and gold to the beautiful colors of oxidized metal. The image is surrounded by a corroded copper tube and produces a 6 point star. The lamp-worked glass produces very fine and delicate patterns with strong contrasting colors. Looking into the scope reveals an image with the shine of metals and the rich colors of a patina. Steven lives in a ghost town known for producing many tons of copper ore and has been experimenting with various ways to naturally patina copper and brass for his art work. Hence is the inspiration for the scope.

African Mahogany 9” x 2” with a 6 point 2 mirror system- oil

Steve Gray

Steven Gray writes, “I thought it was blind luck or fate that brought kaleidoscopes into my life. In part that may be true, some bits of good timing, the right input at the right time that sort of thing. Now I see that the kaleidoscope is a metaphor in many ways and for me. It is a pulling together of my interests and passions. To see how my attention was focused I look at what I was interested in as a child, to keep from rambling aimlessly along I’ve limited it to three areas of significance. I loved playing with optical tricks; odd reflections, binocular effects, the juxtaposition of light and shadow, moving the multiple mirrors around on bath cabinet and wondering what lies just to the other side of a reflection. Gadgets have always intrigued me and still do. I love taking apart all sorts of devices to see how they are put together (sorry mom and dad for all of the appliances you needed to replace once I investigated them). My love for wood comes from a long line of ancestors that worked wood into useful and beautiful items. Many fond memories of going down to my grandfather’s wood shop and smelling the Black Walnut lumber, poking around in all the small drawers of miscellaneous parts and handling  the tools that he used on the lathe.

And perhaps the main driving force is that my friends would never let me look through their kaleidoscopes  when I was a child. So I showed them and went on to make the best optical toys I could dream of. For the lion share, my life is not luck or fate. It is the culmination of my interests and in a large part focused by kaleidoscopes. For this I’m grateful.

Let enthusiasm drive your work and love what you do, what else can I say.
Respectfully submitted Steven Gray