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2349. Mark Eliot Schwabe
Mark Eliot Schwabe is a sculptor and jewelry designer/maker. After many years of work in metals, in 2008 he came across the work of Winona Cookie, discovering the SteamPunk genre. He was taken by the elaborate detail, subject matter and moving parts of her paper collages; and fascinated by the wonderful "naughty Victorian" stories that are part of her work. After researching the genre, he was completely hooked. Adopting the pseudonym "SteamSmith", Mark set about making unique and short production run jewelry using traditional metal working techniques. Soon thereafter he added small scale metal sculptures to his portfolio. Considerable detail, quality of workmanship and the occasional moving part are the hallmarks of his work.
Detailed metal work with moving parts was not new to Schwabe. As a young man he worked in the studio of his father, James Author Schwabe. The elder Schwabe made elaborate jewelry and precious metal sculpture, often with moving parts, for Cartier, NY and others. Science fiction was also not new to Mark. He spent much of the 1990's as a free lance model maker retained by the Rawcliffe Corporation. Rawcliffe produced miniature pewter sculptures of Star Trek and Star Wars space ships (among other items). Mark made the original sculptings for most of those "vehicles". To aid his work, Schwabe made dozens of specialized tools.
Now entering his sixth decade as a metal worker, Mark is devoted to making objects of his imagining in the SteamPunk style. Frequently these include details made with his Star Trek and Star Wars tools and occasionally he will include a component part that he originally made for those projects. From time to time, there is a fanciful story about the object he has made (homage to Winona Cookie).
In his own words:
"The SteamSmith lives and works in a world that challenges description and defies understanding by peoples of the 21st century Earth. It is a world in which creative people work with their hands and their heads; it is a world in which machines and industries are built with parts that move, and parts that don't. Land and sea are traveled in wondrous machines, often made by hand. And the sky is filled with airships of amazing construction. Time is understood in a way that 21st century people cannot fathom. The taverns are filled with ladies of style, wisdom and sass, and with strong-handed men with nimble brains. "
Exhibits:
2012 Steampunkinetics - one of the first kinetic steampunk art exhibitions in the United States (AFA gallery, New York City, New York)
2012 "Rayguns, Robots & Steampunk," The Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT
2012 Frog Hollow Gallery, Burlington, VT
2012 The SPACE Gallery, Burlington, VT
2010 "Nemo's Steampunk Art & Invention Gallery" Patriot Place, Foxboro, MA
Awards:
2010 1st place (SteamPunk Wedding Ring): The Etsy SteamTeam Wedding contest - "a steampunk item that could be found at a wedding."
2009 1st place (Pirate Airship Revenge): The Etsy SteamTeam "Make it Move" contest - "steampunk design with moving parts."
See Also
2350. Warrior Princess Nancy
2351. Military Airship
2352. Nautilus
2353. Revenge
Collection Tags
Artist
2349. Mark Eliot Schwabe
Mark Eliot Schwabe is a sculptor and jewelry designer/maker. After many years of work in metals, in 2008 he came across the work of Winona Cookie, discovering the SteamPunk genre. He was taken by the elaborate detail, subject matter and moving parts of her paper collages; and fascinated by the wonderful "naughty Victorian" stories that are part of her work. After researching the genre, he was completely hooked. Adopting the pseudonym "SteamSmith", Mark set about making unique and short production run jewelry using traditional metal working techniques. Soon thereafter he added small scale metal sculptures to his portfolio. Considerable detail, quality of workmanship and the occasional moving part are the hallmarks of his work.
Detailed metal work with moving parts was not new to Schwabe. As a young man he worked in the studio of his father, James Author Schwabe. The elder Schwabe made elaborate jewelry and precious metal sculpture, often with moving parts, for Cartier, NY and others. Science fiction was also not new to Mark. He spent much of the 1990's as a free lance model maker retained by the Rawcliffe Corporation. Rawcliffe produced miniature pewter sculptures of Star Trek and Star Wars space ships (among other items). Mark made the original sculptings for most of those "vehicles". To aid his work, Schwabe made dozens of specialized tools.
Now entering his sixth decade as a metal worker, Mark is devoted to making objects of his imagining in the SteamPunk style. Frequently these include details made with his Star Trek and Star Wars tools and occasionally he will include a component part that he originally made for those projects. From time to time, there is a fanciful story about the object he has made (homage to Winona Cookie).
In his own words:
"The SteamSmith lives and works in a world that challenges description and defies understanding by peoples of the 21st century Earth. It is a world in which creative people work with their hands and their heads; it is a world in which machines and industries are built with parts that move, and parts that don't. Land and sea are traveled in wondrous machines, often made by hand. And the sky is filled with airships of amazing construction. Time is understood in a way that 21st century people cannot fathom. The taverns are filled with ladies of style, wisdom and sass, and with strong-handed men with nimble brains. "
Exhibits:
2012 Steampunkinetics - one of the first kinetic steampunk art exhibitions in the United States (AFA gallery, New York City, New York)
2012 "Rayguns, Robots & Steampunk," The Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT
2012 Frog Hollow Gallery, Burlington, VT
2012 The SPACE Gallery, Burlington, VT
2010 "Nemo's Steampunk Art & Invention Gallery" Patriot Place, Foxboro, MA
Awards:
2010 1st place (SteamPunk Wedding Ring): The Etsy SteamTeam Wedding contest - "a steampunk item that could be found at a wedding."
2009 1st place (Pirate Airship Revenge): The Etsy SteamTeam "Make it Move" contest - "steampunk design with moving parts."
See Also
2350. Warrior Princess Nancy
2351. Military Airship
2352. Nautilus
2353. Revenge
Collection Tags
Artist
