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FANTASY CLOCKS

Richard Birkett sees obsolete machines and bits of our past as NOT JUNK, but as objects with the potential for a new life. Birkett dismantles these defunct machines, and incorporates their intricate insides and outsides in his assemblages. Broken typewriters, dinosaur VCR’s, 1950s cameras, and superannuated engineering devices are favorites for rescue and demolition. Making clocks is his form of a romantic quest to save the flotsam and industrial debris of the recent past from ending up in a landfill. These collections of seemingly unrelated objects are juxtaposed to create a new impression.

High-quality quartz movements made by Seiko power the clocks. Parts are securely screwed onto the pine box, which is the foundation of the clock. This makes them tough enough to withstand most hard knocks. Slide viewers are often incorporated into the designs, and the slides they contain are often images taken by the artist himself. Another common element is the “helping hands” cradling a magnifying glass, or empty “clip hands” used to hold bits and pieces of electronics or evocative old photographs.

about RICHARD BIRKETT

Birkett has been making clocks since 1984. He grew up in Spokane, Washington, was an Eagle Scout, and a long-distance runner. He joined the Marines and surved a tour of duty in Vietnam. Upon returning to the states and Spokane, Rick studied painting and sculpture at the Studio School of Spokane and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. After finishing his studies he relocated to New York City. The ideas for his clocks were implanted in his brain when he was captured by aliens.

| Images and site content copyright © 2010 Richard Birkett | Wed Design : sw-port.info |

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CONTACT

Richard Birkett prefers the old telephone as a means of communication. He is too busy creating art, which leaves him with little time to deal with computers. He’d rather drop one from a window and make clocks out of what survives. It’s better to contact him by telephone:

Phone: (607) 988-7409
Address:
Richard Birkett
PO Box 15
Otego, New York 13825

However, if in fact you are desperate to email him, here’s where to send it:

richard@fantasyclocks.com