Self-taught artist John A. Peralta creates stunning sculptures from dismantled machinery. His unconventional style of sculpting incorporates iconic mechanical objects and high-tech materials to produce astonishingly beautiful and complex representations, which he nicknames “Mechanations.”
In his website, Peralta talks about the inspiration behind his unique sculpting method. “In 2005, while living in Hong Kong, I came across an exploded diagram of a bicycle on the back of a magazine,” he recalls. “I was inspired by its fragile beauty, and imagined a three-dimensional version with a real object.”
Using only a ruler and simple tools, which he still uses today, he went on to develop techniques for suspension which expose the inner workings of these humble mechanical objects. “The subjects I choose for the Mechanations series are icons of utility and invention,” he explains. “I also like to think they hold memories that we’ve long forgotten. They’ve watched generations pass; recorded every scene, love letter, and document. Each image, word, and note is permanently imprinted on them.”
Having received no formal training in the arts, it wasn’t until his thirties that Peralta found his creative voice. Amongst his interests, he mentions visual and textural contrasts, motion, mechanics, space, time, and the use of bold colors. His influences include cubist artists like Metzinger and Picasso, and the surrealist, Storm Thorgerson.
Take a look at some of his stunning pieces:
