This is what happens when a grown man with the mind of a seven-year-old and a love for science fiction goes scavenging at scrap metal yards in southern California.

“During a very extended remodel of my Santa Barbara home I began searching metal scrap yards for brass, bronze and copper objects to embed in a planned concrete kitchen countertop. I was amazed at what I found: vintage vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, kitchen appliances, tools, lab equipment, and many things whose original use will always remain a mystery. I knew that if I did not take them home they would be smelted and lost forever. Thus began my obsession with collecting retro junk. It did not take long for the search for parts to expand to auto and marine salvage yards, constructions sites, swap meets and even the curbside. Oftentimes parts appear at my front door thanks to friends who indulge my odd habit.

After bringing parts to the home studio, they are cleaned, disassembled (if necessary), sometimes polished, then sorted. Inspiration comes from a youth filled with a healthy dose of science fiction, mythology, comic books, and still having the playful mind of a seven-year-old.

Each piece begins with finding the personality in an object, then test fitting combinations together, and cutting, drilling and grinding until reaching a natural-looking fit. The workshop bench usually has a few different projects going on at any time. Sometimes, sculptures need to be put aside for months while waiting for just the right salvaged part. Making these one-of-a-kind, whimsical, found-object sculptures has allowed me to indulge my passion for creating art, while giving new life to discarded objects, and perhaps preserving a bit of industrial history. I enjoy the excitement people show when they recognize parts that have been repurposed into their new incarnations.”

Tal Avitzur: website / facebook
Via: e-junkie.info