Page 47 - David Bermant Foundation

the collectionStePhen GerberiChFrom a pack rat’s treasure trove of motors, toys, and other bric-a-brac, Iowa-born sculptor Stephen Gerberich builds some of the most entertaining contraptions you’ve ever seen. An alchemist of odds and ends, he’s always searching for possibilities: a plastic dinosaur for this, a lampshade for that. He spins them all together in an elaborate call and response; call it a dialogue between mechanical memories and active imagination. Some of his myriad influences are Cornell, Rauschenberg, Duchamp, Tinguely, Kienholz, and especially his late brother, Tim.A self-proclaimed lover of hand tools or any useful invention without a power cord, Gerberich turns discarded labor-saving devices into a wealth of fantastical sculptures. Push a button or spin a crank and these marvels come alive: buzzing, whirring, squeaking, humming, clanking, chugging, flashing, and blinking.“In 1999, David Bermant honored me with his final commission, to build a sculpture at his ranch. For the western setting, I conceived of ‘Yo Jimbo’ from the title of a Kurosawa film. ‘Yojimbo’ means bodyguard in Japanese, and describes qualities I associate with Bermant: resilience and guardianship.”—Stephen GerberichSTEPHEN GERBERICH Yo Jimbo in studio 1994Caption46