The Square Life

Not quite modern art, not quite contemporary, sometimes loud, and
always mesmerizing. Andrew Smith creates moving, living sculptures with steel, copper, water and even Nerf balls. What some people call junk, Smith
calls art.

Square: Where do you start from when making a new piece?

Andrew Smith: It's different from project to project. A lot of times searching though the junk will stimulate an idea or process. I always have miscellaneous ideas here and there.

SQ: Is your using junk material in your work significant?

AS: A lot of the found objects have sort of a history to them, like a piece of metal that's been out in the weather. Some of them are just meaningless junk and some of them have a antique value or uniqueness to them.

SQ: Where do you get your materials?

AS: People give me stuff they're getting rid of, because they know that I collect interesting shapes and objects. I go to scrap metal yards and antique stores. Sometimes I see something on the side of the road. I collect stuff from all over.

SQ: Does your work have a lot of meaning to you?

AS: A lot of artists have a deep emotional, metaphorical, poetic meaning behind their work. My pieces don't typically have that. Of course some pieces have a little bit of that to them, some don't. Some people ask “do you have a meaning behind your artwork, or something your trying to convey?” If anything I'll say the purpose behind my artwork is it has no purpose. It's just raw creativity and fun.