“These sculptures demonstrate, in minimalist and transparent form, my perception of the universe—how the universe might be visualized if moved by gears, levers, and basic mechanics.”

Read more about Campbell’s inspiration for his sculptures

As a young boy, I spent many happy hours in my father’s workshop hammering coat hanger wire to fashion different items. Thinking back to that time, I now realize that I learned so much about forming metal from those early experiments.

When I moved to Vermont and had my own workshop, I began to explore the medium of brass. It was a relatively inexpensive material and easy to form. I had always been interested in the mechanics of movement so it was a natural progression that I began to make gears and levers that I fashioned by hand.

Today, my work is influenced by natural phenomena such as sun showers, meteor storms, wind, rain, eclipses, constellations, etc. The challenge is to show these natural events through sometimes simple and sometimes not-so-simple functional means, and do it in a way that is both informative and beautiful. All my work can be activated by a hand crank that invites audience participation. By turning the crank, people can experience the movements the way I envisioned them. My sculptures represent, in minimalist and transparent form, my perception of the universe—how the universe might be represented if moved by gears, levers, and basic mechanics.

~ Bruce Campbell

Artist page

“Making the sculptures kinetic creates different movement and design by whoever is turning it. Everyone will turn it differently. A little child might spin it fast and an adult may turn it slower, creating a different effect on the speed. One thing I am trying to depict is the different phenomenon of the universe, like eclipses and meteor showers.”

Bruce Campbell’s Artist Talk at Mitchell•Giddings Fine Arts on the evening of July 27, 2024