Artist Steve Gerberich gives a guided, hands-on tour of his exhibit, Best of Springs, Sprockets & Pulleys, on view in the Wolf Kahn & Emily Mason Gallery through September 24, 2018.

From a pack rat’s treasure trove of motors, toys, and other bric-a-brac, Steve Gerberich builds some of the most entertaining contraptions you’ve ever seen. An alchemist of odds and ends, he’s always searching for possibilities: a plastic dinosaur for this, a lampshade for that. He spins them all together in an elaborate call and response; call it a dialogue between mechanical memories and active imagination. A self-proclaimed lover of hand tools or any useful invention without a power cord, Gerberich turns discarded labor-saving devices into a wealth of fantastical sculptures. It’s ironic that the tasks now assigned to these items are labor intensive and complex. Push a button or spin a crank and these marvels come alive: buzzing, whirring, squeaking, humming, clanking, chugging, flashing, and blinking. From the Kettle Head Choir to the Springs, Sprockets & Pulleys collection, this is analog work for the digital age.