Cleverly inventive sculptures delight viewers in college gallery

The Gallery at Penn College opens the new year with an ingenious exhibit of kinetic sculptures and automata.

“Found: The Sculpture of Randall Cleaver” runs Jan. 16 through March 29, with a reception and gallery talk set for 4:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30. Admission to the gallery is free and open to the public.

Growing up in Reading, the son of a pack rat, Cleaver saw early on the magic in discarded items, as his father hauled home objects from auctions, flea markets and junk piles. Cleaver made toys or adapted existing toys with these materials, then earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from Penn State in 1981. As a student, it was natural to scour salvage yards and rubbish piles for art supplies instead of buying new ones. This attitude of reusing and adapting existing parts still plays a significant role in his work.

In 2008, Cleaver completed the clock repair program at the School of Horology in Columbia, Pennsylvania, where he learned how to machine parts for his kinetic art and spent a great deal of time researching clocks, clockwork toys and automata.

“My work combines what has been discarded to create machines,” Cleaver says in his artist’s statement. “The machine’s motion involves the viewer with its complexity of forms, textures, relationships and humor. Creating with found objects started as an inexpensive way to obtain materials, but soon, the things themselves became a source of inspiration.”

Cleaver’s working style is intuitive. He begins with a germ of an idea, and as it grows, relationships are uncovered and the form of the work responds to these discoveries. Viewers will be intrigued by the pieces as they interact with the animation, see the glow of the lights or hear the clocks activate on the hour.

After living in Philadelphia for 25 years, the artist now calls Takoma Park, Maryland, home and is most content working in his shop. He exhibits nationally and his artwork has been featured on television broadcasts and in publications, such as “1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse: Remake, Restyle, Recycle, Renew.”

Located on the third floor of The Madigan Library at Pennsylvania College of Technology, The Gallery at Penn College is open 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. (The gallery is closed on Mondays and Saturdays. It will also be closed during Spring Break week March 2-10.) Groups are welcome to contact the gallery director to schedule visits.

The Gallery at Penn College is a cultural asset to the college and local communities, providing the opportunity for appreciation and exploration of contemporary art and encouraging critical thinking and meaningful experiences.

For more about the gallery’s 18th season, visit the gallery website, email or call 570-320-2445.

For more information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.