Artist Statement

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People often have a chuckle when they find out I was born on Halloween. Perhaps there is a connection between that and my whimsical, darkly humorous, and sometimes macabre subject matter. 

As a child, I was known for taking my toys apart to discover how they worked, many times not being able to reassemble them. Because of this curiosity, and alot of trial and error, I was able to teach myself the basics of mechanical movement in an effort to make my carvings come to life. 

I wrestle with the idea of whether or not to paint my wooden pieces – color offers an opportunity to create more drama, but I also like the look of bare wood and how it ages with time and the patina of human touch. For this exhibition, I have opted to comprise and feature some of each.

As an art major, I was often told by my instructors, “Armstrong, loosen up!” I had a penchant for slow, tedious techniques in drawing and painting, but I have enjoyed knowing that I have found a way to make that tight technique work for me. There are many aspects of the work I find enjoyable, from the mundane sanding and painting to the more creative aspects of designing, drawing, and carving. 

I love what I do, I believe that I’m driven to do it, and couldn’t be happy or fulfilled any other way. I’m so fortunate to live in a period when no one can tell you, “You can’t do it that way”! With this freedom, I feel a responsibility to work hard and create the best work I can. In over thirty years of creating kinetic sculptures (automata) full-time, I have made over 600 pieces and am ready to make 600 more!

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Artist Bio

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Steve Armstrong was born in Sherman, Texas, in 1945. Armstrong’s father was a pilot in the Air Force, which caused the family to move every two or three years–this was a major contributor to the artist’s educational journey. Hopping from area to area, the family lived in California, Texas, Alabama, New York, Florida, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, and Japan. 

Both of Armstrong’s parents had a talent for drawing and recognized their son’s interest in art. They made sure he had the materials and instructions from an early age. Once he reached college age, Armstrong lived with relatives in Kentucky and attended the University of Kentucky as an art major. After two years, during the height of the Vietnam War, Armstrong joined the Air Force and served for over four years in Texas and New Hampshire. 

Following his time in the Air Force, married with a young child in tow, Armstrong returned to university with an interest in the Montessori method of education and attended the Montessori Institute of Atlanta, receiving a primary teacher’s certificate while finishing a bachelor’s at UofK. Armstrong would go on to teach for 18 years. 

In 1993, Armstrong gave up teaching to pursue art full-time, which has been his path now for over thirty years. In the beginning, the artist created more primitive, whimsical pieces in a “folk art” style where he sold them at flea markets and antique shows. Considering his work more conceptually, Armstrong began to pursue his work as a matter of “fine art”, finding great success in this path. Armstrong has gallery representation in Kentucky, Ohio, and California, and has made and found homes for over 600 pieces.