The Mission Arts Council is hosting a new exhibit called A Rivet of Robots, by artist Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk.
The exhibit opened on Nov. 15 and runs until Dec. 3 at the Rock Family Gallery in the Mission Arts Centre (33529 First Ave. Mission). The gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
The show features a collection of one-of-a-kind sculptures made from upcycled metal objects.
Fahnestalk spent her childhood drawing dinosaurs and bunnies. She has won a basketball in a colouring contest, repaired a printing press with a bobby pin, and created a comic strip for cows. Her first professional job as an artist was in the early 1970s, illustrating an Ichthyological key for $1.75 per hour.
Fahnestalk’s current passion is creating one-of-a-kind robot sculptures from upcycled metal objects. Her ‘bots’ have been described as 3-D cartoons, and she likes that comparison. Each bot is securely constructed using drilling and screws, and she uses the metal pieces as she finds them – never polishing, painting or shaping.
The search for parts is also a part of the creative process. Garage sales and flea markets are her friends.
The question Lynne is asked most often about her Bots is, “Do they move?”
Her answer? “Not when I’ve been looking.”
A two-time recipient of the prestigious Canadian Prix Aurora Award for Artistic Achievement, Fahnestalk has earned numerous awards from art shows, including best body of work, best of show, most humorous, and popular choice.
Before making bots, Lynne was a professional illustrator and cartoonist for more than 30 years. She has served as art director for a printing company and various magazines, and was co-owner of a small printing company, which specialized in producing art prints for artists.
