Mechanical Gestures exhibit opens January 11 at Sarah Spurgeon Gallery

The Sarah Spurgeon Gallery at Central Washington University will host a solo exhibition by Spokane-based artist Rob McKirdie starting next week.

The opening events for Mechanical Gestures are scheduled for Thursday, January 11, with an artist talk from 4-5 p.m. in Randall Hall, room 117, followed by a reception in the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery (Randall Hall, room 141) from 5-7 p.m.

Mechanical Gestures is a collection of kinetic artwork by McKirdie, whose use of movement in his sculptural work has spanned almost two decades. The exhibit explores people’s relationships to machines as a metaphor for modern existence. At the same time, it investigates the effect of technology, mechanization, and industrial innovation on consumer culture.

McKirdie is a nationally exhibited sculptor whose work is recognized for its exploration of connections among collected and discarded materials. The tenured professor at Spokane Falls Community College uses materials that he scavenged from scrap yards, junk heaps, and dumpsters, dredging the mundane corners for the sediment of material culture.

McKirdie’s art shows that in our ever-digitized world, humans are removed from the physicality of movement and the analog nature of machines. As a tactile, visceral experience, his artwork invites the viewer to explore the gamut of emotions, from reverence to chaotic humor, through direct engagement with the work. Through mold making, fabrication, and metal casting, McKirdie investigates the properties and possibilities of objects, inviting the viewer to see the materials within a new framework.

Mechanical Gestures will remain on view through February 3. Sarah Spurgeon Gallery is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 1-5 p.m. The gallery is closed on Sundays and will be closed on January 15 in observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.