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ArtTRUST - How does a jeweler transition to creating art from found objects?
Bob - Jewelry is just miniature sculpture and in twenty-five years as a jeweler, I used almost every metal known to man. In a great leap of faith, I boxed up all my jewelry equipment and acquired tools for creating work on a larger scale.
ArtTRUST - Were your time capsules art or primarily a safe place to store history?
Bob - I conceived the design of the capsules as "the time capsules like no other."
It was my first commission for a time capsule, and probably my last. They asked for a time capsule, but I gave them something they didn't expect and won't soon forget.
ArtTRUST - Have you found that living in a city remote from the art centers to be a problem?
Bob - Living in Eureka Springs does make marketing my work a difficult job, but it's a trade-off for a beautiful environment.
ArtTRUST - You have been able to get corporate involvement in your art . . . is this a solution for art in general?
Bob - For me, corporate work is great because I find it much more dependable than private gallery associations.
ArtTRUST - What is your preferred medium for your work?
Bob - I get the strongest internal dialog when I have metal in my hands and I have lots of metal in my "scrap yard."
ArtTRUST - You create a lot of functional art . . . is this your best focus?
Bob - I have a lot of fun making functional pieces. I wondered why it wasn't an integral part of society to have art incorporated into one's entire environment.
ArtTRUST - What special materials were used in the creation of the capsules?
Bob - An eight inch diameter stainless steel pipe with a 1-1/8" thick bolt-on flange as the chamber. The flange was sealed with a 1/4" thick teflon gasket and silicon. .
ArtTRUST - Where will they be buried?
Bob - Alpha capsule will be buried on the grounds of the Crescent Hotel, and Omega capsule will remain on exhibit in the lobby of the Basin Park Hotel, both in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
ArtTRUST - What distinguishes this capsule from other time capsules?
Bob - The industry standard is a small PVC tube. When you see the photo above, the difference is obvious.
ArtTRUST - What is your formal educational background?
Bob - A BS in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Arkansas, not much to do with being a jeweler or a sculptor.
ArtTRUST - Can you tell us the creative process you use?
Bob - Basic composition, I start with, "I think I'll make a lamp."
I select components from my large stockpile of found objects and create a lamp.
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