“I’m a maker; I’m also an admirer of things well made. Over the years, I’ve chosen to make things that I love. I find the subjects of my sculpture in real life; a shoe, a camera, a clock, a ruler…made to a scale that is one-to-one, it’s human scale.” –Peter Kirkiles
Sculptor Peter Kirkiles plays with the scale and materials of everyday objects. Whether an exact replica of an antique tall clock made in weathering steel, a measuring rule enlarged ten times its normal size, or a Studebaker truck shrunken down to the dimensions of a toy, his sculptures invite us to view the familiar in new and unexpected ways. The artist’s appreciation of the formal qualities of useful objects such as hand tools is evident in the detail and precision of his sculptures and their individual component parts. In particular, Kirkiles’ series of colossal desk, segmented, and folding rules encourage us to take full measure of our physical relationship to the material world around us.
This year, Shelburne Museum is pleased to feature fourteen of Peter Kirkiles’ sculptures throughout our campus. Selected by the artist, each site juxtaposes Kirkiles’ sculptures against the backdrop of the Museum’s buildings, collections, and gardens.
For more information about the artist and his work, visit www.peterkirkiles.com
Museum Grounds