Jason Lyons’ sculptures prove that beauty can be found anywhere, even in discarded objects. Reclaiming the discarded (what other people might refer to as “junk”), Lyons transforms one thing into another, creating animalistic sculptures out of melded man-made objects.
According to Lyons, his practice is very much tied to his background. “I basically grew up being surrounded by found object art,” he relayed once in an interview with Hammermarks. “My father is a found object sculptor as well.” In fact, some of Lyons’ earliest memories are of “Junk” hunting trips with his father at local dumps and along roadsides.
Inspired by the materials themselves, which form the basis of his work, Lyons’ work is also a reflection of his love of the natural world. “Along with my desire for the arts I have also always been into the outdoors,” he notes. “My childhood was also spent camping, hiking, and observing nature. In fact, I almost ended up in Alaska as a bush pilot and going to school for wildlife biology.”
These days, his observations of the natural world show up in his subject matter. A simple spoon forms the body of a rainbow trout; a discarded children’s toy becomes the foundation for a moose; horseshoes transform into armadillos. According to Lyons, the organic nature of many of these man-made objects lends itself to the organic figures he creates.
The sculptures themselves are made primarily wood and metal, augmented with his found objects. “I began my career using mostly rusted and distressed items which gave them a very vintage style,” he notes. This vintage style adds a steam-punk air to his unique creations, blurring the line between machines and animals.
