Self-taught artist John A. Peralta is a master of suspense—literally speaking, that is. Rather than creating something out of nothing, Peralta’s creative process involves going the other way around: deconstructing machines and then suspending their parts, so that the viewer can peek inside the belly of the beast.
“I look for objects that are interesting to me personally,” he shared in a recent interview with CLOT Magazine. “I’m drawn to mechanical complexity and elegant design.”
Another criterion when choosing his material is a personal connection. “I also look for pieces with which the average person might have a personal connection; think of your father’s pocket watch or your grandmother’s Singer sewing machine,” he explains. As such, his work often stirs up long-forgotten memories—adding a layer of nostalgia to his sculptures.
According to Peralta, his practice was learned through trial and error, dating back to when he was a child. In fact, some of his earliest memories are of him and his brother pulling their red wagon around the neighborhood, knocking on doors, collecting broken radios, televisions, tape players, and then opening them up.
“My fascination with mechanical objects has only intensified as the variety of pieces with which I’ve worked has expanded,” he relayed. “My interest in them has also evolved. Working so closely with these old machines—seeing the wear patterns, grime, and dust that have accumulated over the decades and even centuries—feels like I’ve been given a private window into the lives of the people who once owned them.”
His deconstructed pieces include a typewriter, a guitar, and a camera. Scroll down to see some of his work, and follow his Instagram for more.
