Mister Jalopy, the celebrated "founder of the Maker Art movement" is to be featured in a college gallery show in Los Angeles. A reception for the exhibit will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the College of the Canyons Art Gallery.
Painter Paul Gauguin once said, "Art is either plagiarism or revolution," but the work of local artist Mister Jalopy defies that logic by appropriating discarded consumer products and creating something spectacularly new.
The College of the Canyons Art Gallery will display some of Jalopy's work in the exhibit "Mister Jalopy and the Maker Philosophy" from Nov. 1 to Nov. 18, 2008.
Among the whimsical pieces on display will be "The World's Biggest iPod," an Apple iPod wired to a classic console stereo system, and a three-wheeled bicycle that operates a home-built movie projector.
"Mister Jalopy takes the best of earlier and contemporary technologies and shows us that they can work together to create new approaches to everyday challenges," said Larry Hurst, gallery director at the college. "He directly encourages manufacturers to create products that consumers can understand and repair themselves. Although he says he is not an artist, the objects or 'gizmos' that he has created are certainly art."