Paul Loughridge
"Some of my fondest memories have me and my brothers tearing our toys and bikes apart just so we could figure out how things worked. Then armed with youthful confidence and my Dad's off-limits tools we set about recreating a "better product". This early industrial education while feeding my inquisitive nature also provided me with a strong sense of scale and balance. I still feel strongly about this concept and strive to inject that sense of proportion into all of my work. My creative process consists of dry fitting objects from my extensive urban stash collection until I attain that natural looking fit. If executed properly I believe a distinct personality emerges from the sculpture. I find this creative process satisfying on many levels and since the raw material which I seek out are in such abundance I don't see myself stopping anytime soon."
From his Northern California lab, Paul Loughridge (pronounced ‘Lok-rij’) transforms what most people would consider junk into one-of-a-kind, surreal, cyber/steam punk assemblage sculptures. During this creative journey Paul develops a unique character and personality for each sculpture. Whether it's giving his found object assemblage sculptures a silly smirk or a forceful stare, there is often a humorous element to much of his work. This ability to re-engineer cold, metal parts into playful art pieces is fueled by his childhood diet of sci-fi space movies and TV. Paul stocks his "laboratory" with elements of forgotten, retired or otherwise discarded paraphernalia by frequenting flea markets, garage sales and old warehouses. All of his pieces are carefully "cold" assembled, void of any soldering or welding.
