Mike Rivamonte: “ROCKET MAN”
You cannot help but think about science and space with a Saturn V rocket in your backyard. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center, our neighbor, provided countless hours of education, awesome hide and seek, and astronaut treats like freeze dried ice cream and Tang. My hometown is the “Rocket City” - Huntsville, Alabama. I grew up believing that cities had skyscrapers and we… well we had rockets.
My work is greatly influenced by my family. As kids my mom would take us to countless antique stores, curio shops and flea markets. During these “field trips” I marveled over dusty scientific instruments, phonographs and other obscure mechanical devices. I developed a deep appreciation and interest of inventions and history. I picked up the love of making things from my father and uncles. My dad built our first color television set, all kinds of radios and our first computer. He could and would build anything. We constructed many things together. My uncles, one a science teacher the other a carpenter, fueled my inquisitive, experimental nature and appreciation for the finer points of craftsmanship.
These sculptures reflect the imagination and influences of my childhood.
They are my interpretation of robots and spacemen capable of flight and mischief. Rare and collectible objects from all over are transformed to create expressive unique characters. Each piece is constructed so that they appear as natural and lifelike as possible. I invite the viewer to enjoy their individual personalities and have as much fun observing the pieces as I do creating them.