"Crank Shaft"

Artists' Statement
Crank Shaft is a collaboration between Jon Whitfill (high school physics teacher) and S. Harrison Brooks (metal fabricator). 

Artists' Bios

Jon Whitfill received his Masters of Fine Arts with an emphasis in sculpture and secondary in printmaking. He has been a Bartender, Tire repair man, EMT, College Art History and Interior Design Instructor, Chess Coach, Fire Fighter, Entomologist, Gas Chromatograph Technician, and is currently a High School AP Physics teacher and an internationally exhibited artist. He is currently resides in a live/work studio of his own design in the quaint town of Slaton, Texas.

S. Harrison Brooks received his Masters of Fine Arts with an emphasis in jewelry and secondary in sculpture. Brooks has an extensive background in metal fabrication and welding. Having built custom motorcycles for years, his work reflects industrial processes found in many different disciplines of shop practices. His work has been exhibited nationally and his motorcycles are well respected in the custom motorcycle community. He is currently an artist-in-residence at the Charles Adams Studio Project in Lubbock, Texas. 

For more on these artists:
Jonathan Whitfill
http://jonathanwhitfill.com

S. Harrison Brooks
ttps://www.instagram.com/six206/

Untitled Storage Chest

Artist Statement
Upon receipt of the Motobunny my husband and I's first thoughts where “where the hell are we going to hide that thing?” As parents of two very inquisitive and nosy children, I decided to take on concealment as my starting point. Also, I had read reviews of the product and found there were others that had the same experience. Taking on the project from a design standpoint, I wanted to make a chest that could easily, and justifiably, be placed at the end of a bed, much like a settee or a chest for blankets. There is no noticeable lid or way to open the chest but when one pushes on the side it pops out revealing its contents. The flip-top lid allows the Motorbunny to easily present itself for use. Additionally, the device can be used while on the box to give an activity positioning for traction.

About the Artist
Primrose Carson (°1982, Pittsburgh) is an artist who mainly works with mixed media. By focusing on techniques and materials, Carson considers making art a craft which is executed using clear formal rules and which should always refer to social reality.

Her mixed media artworks are notable for their perfect finish and tactile nature. This is of great importance and bears witness to great craftsmanship. By referencing romanticism she creates work through labour-intensive processes which can be seen explicitly as a personal exorcism ritual. They are inspired by a nineteenth-century tradition of works, in which an ideal of ‘Fulfilled Absence’ was seen as the pinnacle.

Her works are often classified as part of the new romantic movement because of the desire for the local in the unfolding globalized world. However, this reference is not intentional, as this kind of art is part of the collective memory.

“Device for Possible Transcendence”

Artist’s Statement
"Device for Possible Transcendence" is an attempt to reconfigure a machine created for physical pleasure into a mechanism that bridges multiple realms: the motions of physical sensuality and the resonant vibrations of the incorporeal, the spiritual, the ineffable.  There's a certain sort of awkward absurdity and clumsy fashion that comes with this effort: something I see as very human attributes.  The machine requires a delicate balance of settings for the resonance to occur: fiddle with the knobs in the wrong way and it just won't work. But when you get it right, it's almost magical.

About the Artist
Ven Voisey is a Oakland-based multi-disciplinary artist, working primarily in sculpture, installation and sound. Born in Richmond, CA, Voisey grew up in the East Bay Area of Northern California. In 2000, he received a BA from San Francisco State University in a self- designed major combining Humanities, Electronic music , Film, and Conceptual Art. He continued his education outside of school by working, touring and collaborating with kinetic sculpture and installation collective Amorphic Robot Works, building machines, learning electronics, and composing music. In 2003, Voisey moved to North Adams, MA where he worked with a variety of arts organizations (MASS MoCA, MCLA Gallery 51, Clark Art Institute, Images Cinema...) and making his own work in his studio and exhibiting nationally. In 2010 he was Artist-in-Residence at the Berkshire Museum and was awarded the Individual Artist grant from Local Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire. His work was included in the 2012 deCordova Biennial at deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park. In 2013 he was a fellow of the Roswell Artist in Residence Program in Roswell, New Mexico. He returned to his home state in 2014 where he is currently working on new work in his East Bay studio.

More on This Artist:
http://www.v---v.net/

“Banger”
Materials: Motorbunny, wig, fishnet hose, stainless steel butt plugs, glitter, jelly balls, mirrorball, feathers

Artists' Statement
Rather than the powerful Motorbunny being a fixed or static toy we wanted to give it some life, to let it move and participate in the inglorious games of sexual seduction. As such, her feet are shiny butt-plugs and her lure is a miniature discoball. It’s gyrations and machinations have become some sort of oversexed mating display: blunt, comical and fun.

About the Artists
Born in Roswell, New Mexico and currently based in Dallas, Ryder Richards [MFA, Texas Christian University, 2003] was a fellow at Roswell Artist-in-Residence from September 2012 until August 2013, held the art department chair at Eastfield College in Mesquite, TX, and is now an independent artist and creative director.

Ryder continues to explore art through several bodies of work with the subject matter often derived from his interest and research into violence/power, conspiracy, and labor. He is the recipient of several scholarships and awards including artist-in-residence programs in Roswell, New Mexico; Brooklyn, New York; Vermont Studio Center, Vermont; Hilmsen, Germany; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Paducah, Kentucky; and Portales, New Mexico. He has exhibited work in China, Germany, Switzerland, London, Barcelona, and across the United States, including recent exhibitions in Brooklyn, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, St. Louis, Seattle, and San Diego.

Ryder continues to work as a freelance curator and has written art reviews for publications such as Temporary Art Review, Glasstire.com, D Magazine, and Cornell Press. He is the founder and editor of Eutopia: Contemporary Art Review.

Sue Anne Rische, in so far as we can tell, is female. She is rarely seen in public, but rumor has it that she likes dim sum. It is said that she finds great pleasure in the rigorous and educational torturing of drawing and art appreciation students somewhere in Texas. Speaking from complete anonymity, a former student has this to say, “I never actually saw her because she always taught from the inside of a big cardboard box with a picture of Justin Timberlake’s face glued to it, but I still hear her disembodied voice pushing me to better myself and open my mind. It’s horrifying stuff, really.”

More from these artists: 

http://ryderrichards.us/wp/

http://sueannerische.com/

“Madame Bunny”

Artist’s Statement
As three friends enjoy a cook out, a miraculous vision appears. Madame Bunny captivates the three men, hypnotizing them under her spell until they vow obedience to the Bunny. The supplicants perform a ritual maypole dance honoring the power of the Bunny as the ultimate in pleasure.

About the Artist
Colette Copeland is a multi-media visual artist and cultural critic/writer whose work examines issues surrounding gender, death and contemporary culture. Sourcing personal narratives and popular media, she utilizes video, photography, performance and sculptural installation to question societal roles and the pervasive influence of media, and technology on our communal enculturation.

Over the past 16 years, her work has been exhibited in 18 solo exhibitions and 87 group exhibitions/festivals spanning 34 countries. She teaches art and digital media at University of Texas and Collin College in Dallas, Texas as well as writes for Glasstire and Eutopia publications. She proudly admits to providing her children with years of “therapy” fodder especially after this most recent project. 

More from this artist: 
http://colettecopeland.com/

“Twirl-A-Girl”

Artist's Statement
In the face of taboo, there are those that would shudder and recoil, dreading attachment or association to the flashy, glamorous trash in the world. They smirk, and smile uncomfortably, hoping to find a way out of the situation. As good artists, we must always have a heart for those poor, restrained people. A heart, and a vibrator, and tinsel. 

About the Artists
Danielle Georgiou and Justin Locklear are a multi-disciplinary duo with an affinity for provocative themes. Combining video, dance, and live performance, they work to create a mirror in which to start looking through the self. They incorporate pop culture references and mechanically mediated techniques to explore contemporary feminine gender dynamics and the intensely personal nature of identity. 

As an artist couple, who live, work, and play together, Danielle and Justin combine forces in many projects. The challenge of co-creating reveals their own subconscious limits, and the work can then expand further than previously possible. 

From two hour long stage productions, to four minute videos, their work is an attempt to connect: to themselves, to their lovers, and to you. And the work documents their own self-discovery of dysfunction. The weight of catastrophic dread is blended in equal measure with female-power and masculine-humor, resulting in a darkly comedic performance. With a dash of spectacle thrown in for good measure—less like Guy Debord, and more like the kitschy, self-reflective music videos of Katy Perry.

Danielle Georgiou is a multi-hyphenate artist who works in performance and video. Based in Dallas, TX, her stage and video works deal with puzzles found in femininity—vulnerability, deformity, and beauty. Her work has shown across Texas, New York, California, Florida, Oregon, Germany, and Scotland. She likes to pet cats, watch birds take baths, and grow succulents. Her favorite word is “snacks.”

Justin Locklear is a theater artist, with work in both traditional stage work and avant-garde performance. He is the current Artist-in-Residence at the Ochre House Theater in Dallas, TX, specializing in puppetry, prop-building, and play-writing. He has been building performative work over his entire career, from live music, street performance, and site-specific performance art.   

More from these artists: 

https://www.daniellegeorgiou.com/

“Orange You Glad To Be American?!”

Artists' Statement
Americans can be such prudes when it comes to sex. People scandalize it, condemn it; slut shame and perpetuate a Puritanical mindset in regards to what is paradoxically everyone's favorite pastime. In our piece "Orange You Glad To Be American?!" we address the secrecy and hush-hush nature of sexuality in this country by using iconography of classic Americana, specifically the white picket fence on the perfectly manicured green lawn.  Placed in the middle is a bloated orange house/body form, whose skin is ambiguously textured: ribbed for their pleasure, or diseased to their displeasure? The symbol of freedom and all that is sacred flies frantically from the flapping phallus. AMERICA!!

About the Artists
Emily Peacock (b. 1984 Port Arthur, Texas) received her B.S. from Sam Houston State, Huntsville in 2006 and her M.F.A. from University of Houston in 2011. Peacock was a 2013-2014 Lawndale Artist Studio Program artist-in-residence and she recently received the Houston Arts Alliance Individual Artist Grant for 2016. Her work has been show at: Diverseworks, Houston, Beefhaus, Dallas (solo), Jonathan Hopson Gallery, Houston (solo), Lawndale Art Center, Houston, Deep Ellum Windows, Dallas (solo), Blaffer Art Museum, Houston. Her work has also been show in Vienna, Austria and the U.K. Peacock’s work is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Patrick Renner is a Houston-based sculptor who received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2004 and his MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2006. Large civic works include the installation of Funnel Tunnel, a 180-ft steel and wood sculpture involving the public, in Houston (2013) and New Orleans (2015).

In addition to a rigorous personal studio practice, Renner recently co-founded Flying Carpet LLC with partner Kelly O'Brien (engineering lead). Flying Carpet is a company dedicated to the design, fabrication, and installation of large-scale public sculpture. They recently finished two new works in Texas: Trumpet Flower, at Main Street Square in downtown Houston, standing 6 stories tall  and comprised of wood and steel; and RHYZ at Austin's Domain Northside development, made of woven stainless steel strips atop 3 custom cast concrete columns.

More on these artists: 

http://emilyannpeacock.com/

http://patrickrennerart.com/

"can you feel my love buzz"

Artists Statement
i discovered orgasm with a pool jet at 5

worked the strings for the first time on kurt’s licks at 16

although lead belly’s turn is always strongest 

pink dick is over

save for a giggle 

About the Artist
Sally Glass is an artist, curator, and publisher based in Los Angeles. She received her MFA from University of Texas at Dallas in 2014, and spent two years as an artist-in-residence at CentralTrak. Glass has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Texas, the US, and abroad, at spaces such as Barry Whistler Gallery, Power Station, Dallas Contemporary, Oliver Francis Gallery, Crane Arts in Philadelphia, Orgy Park in Brooklyn, Art Palace and Project Row Houses in Houston, and Uqbar in Berlin. She is currently the founding Editor-in-Chief of contemporary art publication semigloss. Magazine. 

More on this artist: 

http://sallyglass.com/

“Untitled”

Artists' Statement
For this project we wanted to take a little from each of our styles. Incorporating both spray paint in a subtle gradient of red and and pink on a red mirrored base. Our inspiration was to be minimal and elegant, by enhancing the desire of the Motorbunny through optical illusion and the exaggeration of form. It was important for us to not obscure the silhouette of the original in order to highlight its lines and contours. In short, we were trying to make the Motorbunny appear as sexy as people feel when they are using it.

About the Artists
Robert Andrade is based in San Diego, California and has exhibited throughout the United States including Los Angles, New York City, Chicago, and Dallas, TX. Andrade approaches making work through various media including sculpture, video, photography, design, sound and curatorial projects. He typically investigates issues related to urbanism, architecture and spatial production. Often times, Andrade uses ideas related to the built environment such as architectural tropes in various styles and fragments both referencing historical icons and contemporary culture.

Sammy Jean Wilson works in the realms of mixed-media Illustration, fashion design, painting and sculpture. It spans both representation and abstraction all while working in traditional and sometimes unconventional media.

Her work primarily focuses on portraiture, the human form, body consciousness and image. Creating “life-size” renderings and often using optical effects in her paintings and drawings  to convey a sense of the “unknown”, Wilson questions the realm of the unseen and what we choose to observe. 

More on these artists: 

http://robertmandrade.com/

http://sammyjeanwilson.com/

*NOTE THAT ARTISTIC CHOICES DEPICTED HERE DO NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT RECOMMENDED USAGE OF MOTORBUNNY PRODUCTS. VISIT MOTORBUNNY.COM TO FIND OUT HOW TO SAFELY ENJOY HOPPING ON.

"Parts List and Finger Unit (Motorbunny)", 2017

Inkjet on canvas
10 x 8 inch, 9 x 6 inch (diptych)

Artist's Statement
My work is reactionary and context driven. Typically it critiques the institution of art display as well as the farcicality of such. It participates in the System as a means to investigate it, admitting what it is, but at the same time commenting on its position. It’s specific to its place— it pretends, complicit to the point of absence.

More on this artist:
http://michaelmazurek.com/

“Untitled”

Artist’s Statement: 
For this piece I wanted to take the object that I was given and create a personality to accompany it. This new persona reflects the absurdity and carnal whimsy that the original object is endowed with.

About the Artist:
Luke Harnden, born in New Orleans, is a Dallas-based artist whose varied practices include drawing, painting, sculptural installation, video, and performance. Though much of his work is rooted in a relationship to the material world, he addresses concerns surrounding technology, mass media, and human consciousness. Harnden earned a BA in Arts and Performance at the University of Texas at Dallas in 2015. He has since been showing in galleries, museums and alternative spaces in Texas and abroad. Harnden is represented by Barry Whistler gallery and is a regular contributor and founding member of the cooperative art space Beefhaus in Dallas, TX.

"Macrodactyly"
2017
Motorbunny, clay, urethane plastic
24 x 17 x 15 inches

Artist's Statement:
My work's consideration of appropriated images, objects and events is a provisional engagement with aging, agnosticism, reappraisals and consent.

I'm ready for bed now. 

But I enjoyed browsing movies with you.

About the Artist: 

www.jessemorganbarnett.com