Artist Pages: Andrew Dwyer

Maps, plans and diagrams all have their practical uses, but for artist Andrew Dwyer they offer a visual and conceptual goldmine for the entirely impractical constructions he calls “grounders” and “walkers.”  Displayed on the wall, these geometric abstractions made of painted cardboard and bamboo skewers behave like colorful sculptural reliefs—but Dwyer designed them to move. By means of an ingeniously conceived system of rubber bands and string, he manipulates these hinged structures like puppets, making the grounders crawl across the ground, and the walkers travel across elevated surfaces. The movement is as jerky and labored as the technology and construction are crude. Yet such ostensible flaws all contribute to the poetry of these little movable monuments—to human effort, perseverance and potential.