Part puzzle, part kinetic wonders, part sculpture, all genius. Using mathematical concepts and 3D modeling software to generate his ideas, Brazilian artist Mauro Fuke hand carves wood – sometimes one piece, often many, many pieces that he assembles into moveable sculptures.

Snakess 2

Snakess 2 reconfigured

Spend some time scrolling through the pictures on his site, he has an extensive portfolio that dates back to 1983 – I had a hard time choosing pictures for this post.

Octaedro

Pounn

Pounn in progress

The website has a slideshow of Pounn in progress.

Rings!

Love this collection of Fuke’s rings – I don’t wear jewelry (weird, right?), but I would wear these – what a statement piece!

There is nothing particularly exciting about this video, but in my opinion that’s the point.  The work is laborious and slow-moving, however, the results are exciting. Yes.

Mauro Fuke – atelier from Naíla Andrade Sarkar on Vimeo.

Want to see more about the 3D modeling? Go to his Projects page.

Mauro Fuke’s website

View all of the sculptures in one continuous stream here.

 

“The puzzle of construction” – Malcolm J. Tibbetts says that if you are going to be successful at segmented wood turning then you have to love “the puzzle of construction”. The California artist combines hundreds – sometimes thousands – of pieces of wood, turning the glued constructions on a lathe to create sculptures of all sizes and shapes.

Global Spring
curly maple with a few black, brown, white, yellow and red segments
21” tall (including granite base)

Inspired by 2011 world-wide tension, Global Spring is made up of 1,024 rings of 16 segments per ring, totaling 16,384 segments. The tube is hollow, but not turned inside.

Perpetuity, carob, 20″ tall

“Segmented wood turning is an art form with few limitations. By combining components, I can create just about any shape or size and by arranging different wood species, I can create just about any type of surface design. There are few art forms with this much freedom. This lack of restriction keeps my mind engaged contemplating the possibilities. Many designs require innovative assembly solutions, much like puzzle solving; and just like the joy of solving a puzzle, there is great joy in inventing assembly techniques.”

Curiosity, macassar ebony and holly, 18.5″ tall

Footprints of a Twister, assorted woods, pierced footprints, 13″ Diameter

Footprints of a Twister is a tribute to the victims of the tornadoes that produced so much heartache in the Midwest and Southeast US during 2011.

Martin’s Dream, ebony & birdseye maple, 36″ wide
Inspired by Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech”

Malcolm J. Tibbets’ website

 

Dean Lucker builds mechanical sculptures and Ann Wood is a mixed media painter. They have never worked as individual artists – Lucker and Wood “share a studio like we share a life.” The husband and wife team have collaborated on art and life for more than 25 years.

I have included a few images of their mechanical pictures (as opposed to their mechanical sculptures), although I could not find any pictures that truly do this work justice. However, the video above, from MN Original, a weekly series that celebrates Minnesota’s creative community, showcases the sculpture and the artists quite beautifully.

 

Winking Moon, 14″ x 8″ x 1.5″

As you press the handle, the gentleman’s arm raises a flower to his nose as the moon’s eye winks. The moon gently reassures the man of his romantic spirit.

I Will Always Love You, 13″ x 8″ x 2″, closed

I Will Always Love You, open

This mechanical picture has a brass lever that when pressed will cause the girl to open a fan shaped folded card with the message “I Will Always Love You.”

Dean Lucker and Ann Wood’s website