For years, I have driven past a property which is heavily wooded and has a driveway which winds down a hill and around a bend, such that you can’t really see the house from the road. This particular property has caught my eye because, among the trees and rock ledges and mossy knolls, are giant metal sculptures. Giant metal spheres! Giant metal flowers! Flowers and spheres! I love it every time I drive by!
In my experience, only fancy-pants art collectors have metal sculptures in their yard. That’s who I assumed lived in here - Mr. and Mrs. Fancy-Pants Art Collector. I had no idea how I would get a closer glimpse at these sculptures, until I saw the “Artist Open Studios” sign in the driveway. I have been so excited all week! On Sunday, I had a fabulous time talking with the very friendly artist who lives there, named Gints Grinbergs, seeing his studio and happily wandering all over his property looking at his sculptures up close. My photos cannot capture what a magical place this is!
Gints collects metal anywhere he can find it and welds in the 600 square foot studio adjacent to his home.
Gints’ work has been featured at the DeCordova Museum, as well as many galleries, and is priced between $300 and $7000.
Old wheels, bicycle parts, giant drills bits, railroad spikes, re-bar, shovels, cutlery, sink drains, metal scrap, and pipes are just some of the metal objects Gints uses in his sculptures.
These nail clippers were collected by airport security. Gints bought them on e-Bay and made a bowl.
Can openers!
Wrenches!
I love these spheres!
It was amazing to see Gints’ studio and talk with him about his art. He has been collecting interesting pieces of metal since he was a child and started working with metal when he took a welding class at Brookline High School. Gints studied architecture at Rhode Island School of Design, but finds that he likes “the immediacy of sculpture” where he can design and build in the same day. His website, www.gintsgrinbergs.com, has more pictures and information if any of you fancy-pants art collectors are interested in buying some of his work.
In my book, finding a way to do creative work you love all day is even better than being a fancy-pants art collector! It seems like a plenty perfect way to live!
Annie, this is great! Thank you for sharing this. I feel like I was on this field trip with you.
It was so fun! Glad you liked it!
OMG, I can’t believe how PLENTY PERFECT this place was for you to see!!!!!!!!!!!! Sphere City!!!!!!!!! They are truly amazing sculptures … and I think the artist’s name is cool, too! He didn’t happen to give you a lil’ spheric present, did he?
I know!!!!! It was amazing! His name suits him and he was the nicest guy ever!
Can you say his name 10 times FAST?!
Hahaha! I can barely WRITE his name correctly! It does seem like a really fitting name for an artist though, doesn’t it!?