Vandegraaff Gearheardt – Artist

Vandegraaff Gearheardt

 

Vandegraaff Gearheardt is a nom de guerre of Greg Barnhart who lives and works in Escondido, CA with his wife, Karen.  He is an award-winning artist trailblazing Sensational Assemblage, a new medium at the confluence of art and technology.
The DNA of Sensational Assemblage consists of Cubist assemblage snippets along with the machine and technology aesthetic of the 1920’s Constructivists.
Vandegraaff’s woodworking, machining, and electronics talents are reminiscent of the Bauhaus, however, it is his addition of ornamental kinetic and photonics elements that move these Seneational Assemblages into a medium of their own.
Vandegraaff is the second-generation artist with degrees in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.  He has a diverse background in areas such as American antiques, vintage cars, motorcycles, design, Art History, and early 20th Century technology.  In addition, Karen and he are ardent collectors of art.
Although his work is time period agnostic, many Vandegraaff Gearheardt Laboratories (VGL) pieces are in the science fiction universe of Steampunk.  Vandegraaff uses electronics to add texture and depth to his pieces much in the same way a painter might use a palette knife.
In many pieces, he mimics 1890’s bespoke craftsmanship using intricate brass and wood-detailing while adding inventive “weird science”.  Not only does he create interest through these anachronisms, but the light, sound, and motion expands the viewer’s sensory bandwidth.  His background in machinery, cars, and motorcycles can be seen in his chrome, steel, and aluminum pieces, some even including repurposed vintage car parts.
Vandegraaff’s work has won acclaim at curated art shows in San Diego, Indian Wells, New York City, and Santa Fe.  He was a featured artist at the 2018 Edwardian Ball in San Francisco and has also been invited to present his work at just about every Steampunk Convention on the West Coast.  His piece, “Prisoner of Time” was featured in the show, “Reuse, Recreate, Imagine” at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido.
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Vandegraaff Gearheardt

Artist
His piece, “Prisoner of Time” was featured in the show, “Reuse, Recreate, Imagine”



View Vandegraaff Gearheardt’s Gallery

Vandegraaff Gearheardt Gallery