Jeremy E. Mayer
I disassemble typewriters and then reassemble them into full-scale, anatomically correct human figures. I do not solder, weld, or glue these assemblages together- the process is entirely cold assembly.
I’m very interested in assembly, particularly in nature. I pay very close attention to the strong current in science and technology flowing inexorably toward an emulation of natural systems. Over the years I’ve been watching the advances in molecular engineering and biotechnology with giddy anticipation and also with a faint ping of trepidation. I love the sciences and science fiction, and both disciplines often stress the importance of considering the ramifications of implementing new technologies. These interests figure greatly into my sculpture and drawings.
I started working with typewriters in 1996 while living in a small town in Iowa. They’ve always been intensely interesting to me (when I was about ten years old I wanted to take apart my mother’s 1920’s Underwood), so it was natural that, having a typewriter and some free time, I would want to dissect one.
I think of the typewriter as a product of nature- it was designed by minds immersed in nature around them, and by using the curves, geometry and physical processes abounding in nature. Though they are cold metal created by human hands, the typewriter is just as much a natural material as stone or wood. I concentrate on bringing this fascination with the raw material and interest in science and science fiction together in the subtleties of the human form.
