Grunge Machines

“Grunge Machine” is the name I gave to an early electro-mechanical sculpture I made in 1984 when I had a studio in Silicon Valley. A broken, run-over-by-car, cassette boom-box called to me as I was “scavenging”. I felt like the damaged metal framework, abraded wires, cracked plastic should be memorialized in some way that could incorporate the still-working motor. I tore down most of what was left and built it back up as a different scrap form. Bright red LEDs became a theme against gloss black enamel lending theatricality. A custom electronic timer circuit I designed caused the motor to spaz out randomly. Each Grunge Machine is unique, though there have been some sub series such as the “Blasted Cassette”. I still make them.