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Jan. 3rd, 2013 09:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormdogIn my trip through Illinois last Summer, I visited Jack Barker's Metal Menagerie, a roadside collection of folk art reminiscent of Dr. Evermore's Forevertron in Wisconsin. The menagerie is on a smaller scale and less holistic in approach, but it was also one of the places on my trip where I looked down at my itinerary as soon as I stopped the car near it, asking myself whether I could find more time to spend exploring it.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
A self-described folk artist, Jack Barker constructed all manner of creatures and things out of all manner of materials. This piece, who I've decided is a mouse or rat, stood out front, watching over some of the collection.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
We love the moon! Even if he's grumpy from time to time.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
Some of Jack's sculptures were made of a material I was unable to identify. It looks like maybe scrapmetal shavings from a drill press or the like.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
Others, like this pink elephant, looked like they were made of expansing insulating foam.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
This piece, a self-portrait by the artist, seems to be of a similar material to the elephant.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
Others, like this Indian with his pipe and headdress, were built with scrap metal.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
And yet others, like this cute little guy, were made of chrome, possibly from car bumpers.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
Another piece whose subject defies description, this one is also metal of various kinds.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
And then there were pieces that would be at home at the Forevertron; rusting metal pieces welded into forms that enticed me into imagining their function and place.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
There was something mysterious and appealing about the symbols worked into this crenelated metal circle as well.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
Some of Jack's creations were much more directly tied to the everyday. Here, a sculpture with a suspicious resemblance to a famous cartoon character makes an appearance.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
A mailbox on site invited visitors to open it up and leave a note for the artist. Even though I learned later that my visit was after his death in May of 2012, the box had a good quantity of notes waiting inside it.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
Copyright Stormdog 2012
From what I can tell, with Mr. Barker's death, his sculptures and creations have all been auctioned and dispersed. I feel fortunate to have seen his workshop and field of creations while it was still there.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
A self-described folk artist, Jack Barker constructed all manner of creatures and things out of all manner of materials. This piece, who I've decided is a mouse or rat, stood out front, watching over some of the collection.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
We love the moon! Even if he's grumpy from time to time.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
Some of Jack's sculptures were made of a material I was unable to identify. It looks like maybe scrapmetal shavings from a drill press or the like.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
Others, like this pink elephant, looked like they were made of expansing insulating foam.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
This piece, a self-portrait by the artist, seems to be of a similar material to the elephant.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
Others, like this Indian with his pipe and headdress, were built with scrap metal.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
And yet others, like this cute little guy, were made of chrome, possibly from car bumpers.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
Another piece whose subject defies description, this one is also metal of various kinds.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
And then there were pieces that would be at home at the Forevertron; rusting metal pieces welded into forms that enticed me into imagining their function and place.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
There was something mysterious and appealing about the symbols worked into this crenelated metal circle as well.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
Some of Jack's creations were much more directly tied to the everyday. Here, a sculpture with a suspicious resemblance to a famous cartoon character makes an appearance.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
A mailbox on site invited visitors to open it up and leave a note for the artist. Even though I learned later that my visit was after his death in May of 2012, the box had a good quantity of notes waiting inside it.
Copyright Stormdog 2012
Copyright Stormdog 2012
From what I can tell, with Mr. Barker's death, his sculptures and creations have all been auctioned and dispersed. I feel fortunate to have seen his workshop and field of creations while it was still there.
