Thursday, May 11, 2006
A flock of odd birds
Scrap metal never looked better after it's crafted into these lawn-friendly works of art at this Louisville studio.
Bicycle gears and broken garden shears. Pieces of rakes and car parts. You wouldn't think these rusty bits of junk would be good for anything but the trash. Au contraire, oh artistically challenged one. Meet the Yardbirds-reconstituted metal crafted into birds, cats, dogs, and other critters that will grace your lawn, warm your heart, and not nip at your heels.
In August of 1991, a Louisville father and son picked up a heavy metal habit, as it were. "Dad owned a business that made metal farm gates. He employed welders who made silly chairs and animals from metal in their spare time. After Dad sold the business, he wanted to duplicate those fun creatures," says Richard Kolb.
His father, also Richard, welded a peacock out of scrap metal and named him Rupert Rakewing. The fowl created a nest of talk, a flurry of interest. More Frankensteinian birds followed suit. Soon a veritable flock flourished.
These days Richard, his father, and a group of artists continue to make birds (60 different types), but they have also expanded the menagerie to include snails, sea serpents, deer, mice, dogs, and cats. "My favorite is the toucan," he says. He points out the ingredients involved in this particular bird's body. The toucan's head is a kid's shovel, its beak is a mowing machine guard, its feet consist of rebar, and the eyes are lug nuts.
Richard and his crew paint some of the earthbound creatures by hand. They also sell unpainted critters, which begin life rusty and grow rustier. These items are popular-the natural color blends in well in the garden.
The business, in a brick and metal building south of downtown Louisville, welcomes visitors to choose from the large selection.
Richard says, "The things that make us happiest are not always the necessities of life, but usually the things that we do not need." In other words, you may not need a scrap-metal peacock, but it's bound to bring a smile and make you as proud as.. well, you know.
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