TAMPA, Fla. – Artist Felipe Lopez hopes visitors to the Modern Art Creations studio in Tampa will second guess what they are looking at.
“I want people to see it and think that they were made exactly for that purpose,” Lopez said.
Dig deeper:
The first exhibition for the new space features a wide range of metal masterpieces. There are humanoid figures, insects, abstract works and even paintings that feature a metal motif.
“We try to do each piece in a different concept. You see each one has different techniques, has a different process of production and tools,” Lopez said.
The magic in metal is the blend of new, raw metal with recycled and repurposed metal. Many pieces feature old car parts, pieces of appliances, tools and even utensils like spoons.
“We have some pieces that don’t have any cuts. Scrap metal, it’s original, we put it on,” Lopez said. “We have others where they’ve completely changed the pieces to make it look completely different.”
Painter Marvin Vega was asked to contribute to the opening exhibition with paintings that blend animals with the vibe of the sculptures.
“He told me, let’s create something that brings in the elements of metal, and let’s incorporate it into your artwork, so that way we can have a cohesive flow on how the sculptures are going to show here too,” Vega said.
In addition to creating art, many of the workers at the studio work on various metal fabrication projects throughout the area.
What they’re saying:
“It’s a lot of different concepts, designs. What we want is for people to connect with something that’s exactly with their experience. Art is experience. Art is memory. We want to connect with the memories and personal feelings of each person,” Lopez said.
The Source: Information in this story comes from interviews done by FOX 13 Photojournalist Barry Wong.