Erika Koivunen
medium: metalwork
Click on the image to see the full version.
 Tiger Lily 2007 Sculpture |
 Screaming Eagles 2007 Sculpture |
 Lounge Birds 2007 Sculpture |
 Flex Bird 2006 Sculpture |
 Boogie Butterfly 2005 Sculpture |
 May the Jester Bird 2006 Sculpture |
 Roxy Bird 2006 Sculpture |
 Warren 2007 Sculpture |
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Contact information
Artist resides in: Madison, WI
Email Address: butterflyjester23@yahoo.com
Artist statement
The philosophy that guides me is the idea that anything can become anything else. The act of making something from nothing is also a driving force in my artwork. I collect scrap metal from various places and redirect its purpose. A bedspring coil becomes a flower petal. Its original purpose can be seen and the viewer can follow the history of the art piece just by looking at it. There is an element of fun that is captured in this process, and it is a relatively simple process. When a piece of scrap looks to me to be a wing, I build around that piece and look for other pieces that will complement the wing with a body and then legs and so on. This process creates an original body of work due to the types of resources I have to create with that are constantly changing. I build a limited number of a particular sculpture and, when those parts are used up, I move on to making something new.
Biography
I am a scrap metal artist. I am thirty-two years old and began welding thirteen years ago. I received my undergraduate degree in art from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1999. While in college, I was mentored by Wisconsin artist Dr. Evermor, a well-known scrap collector and artist. Since then I've been building large, commissioned art pieces for local businesses and individuals, as well as creating collections of work for local people, shops and galleries.
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