Allan Hirsh

Allan Hirsh - 1950 Ray Gun1950 Ray Gun, 2005
wood & metal
15″ x 8″ x 10″
Price: $110.00

My artistic process begins with a wide search for found objects, discarded pieces of wood or used interesting pieces of hardware. Yard sales, flea markets and cluttered antique stores are investigated with a particular eye. The patina, shape, rarity and perceived elegance of an object are all taken into account. The joy of the hunt and the excitement in the find becomes part of the ongoing historical narrative of each piece.

Each artifact will rest for a while in a cluttered, but organized workshop until its new calling becomes apparent. A central idea will generate a process of assembly in which objects are added or taken away with the goal of intuitively improving what the eye sees.
I like to produce sculptures that can be moved in some way. It helps to create an illusion of control.

Little kids often play with guns of some sort. They are imagining being powerful and heroic. They briefly feel in control of the world around them. In the fifties, Buck Rogers and other space heroes were popular. Using discarded electrical equipment, I recreated the look and feel of an imagined ray gun of the fifties. It articulates fluidly thru space and can vanquish the scariest of imaginary space enemies.

I like the playfulness and personal nostalgia of this piece.