Meet the artist: Caleb Heinselman

Caleb Heinselman, Mercuryphone, 2012. MP3/iPhone listening device from found objects. 53.5 x 40 x 68.5cm. Photo: Tom Beaumont.

Caleb Heinselman is a self-taught Steampunk artist from Melbourne, Australia, whose work is being exhibited for the second time ever in The Antipodean Steampunk Show. 

How were you introduced to the Steampunk movement? 

I found the word "Steampunk" in 2006, It was October, don’t remember the date, but the time was around 9 o’clock at night. Needless to say it was a life changing moment for me. I was reading the history of a Japanese model kit manufacturer called NITTO, they ran a series of kits in the eighties  called Ma.K. I was reading a comment on a blog about the models and one of  the descriptive words someone mentioned was “Steampunk”. Needless to say copy and paste couldn’t happen fast enough. That’s the moment I found the aesthetic that I had always been drawn too but never knew it actually had a name for itself.  I remember not being able to sleep that night because of it. The mind was a racin'.

What are you doing when you’re not designing and building your pieces? 

I work for 5 Senses Coffee Roasters as the Senior Field Service Technician, maintaining and repairing espresso machines throughout the Melbourne area. A very fitting job that happened by accident back in 97 in Seattle. Outside of that I’m loving my daughter and wife the best I can.

In what ways do you incorporate Steampunk into your day to day life? 

Well let’s see, the majority of furniture in my home has a Steampunk feel to it, my workshop has heaps of bits and pieces that keep my mind thinking of the next project. And I suppose working on coffee machines covers the work side of my life. So you can pretty much say I incorporate it every day.

Caleb Heinselman, The samson revolaser (detail) 2012. Found objects. 38 x 45 x 28cm. Photo: Tom Beaumont.

Tell us about the workspace where the magic happens. 

The day we moved into a home that had a garage I was designing my shop in my head, the day I came home form the local hardware store with all my benches I began building the Cochleaphone, I was about to burst with creativity, obviously. All the designs I had in my head could finally come out. I have four separate work benches that typically have four separate projects in different stages of build happening. I have pictures of inspiration around me along with unique one of a kind bits and bobs I pick up when I’m out and about looking for parts. I have a rack of tubs with each tub holding like objects, If I need screws I know where to look, if I need cogs, or leather it’s all sitting there nice and organized. I used a Dremil  for the first year of building and my work tool bag of your general purpose off the shelf tools. Just this past year I’ve added a drill press. I plan on adding a few more pieces of machinery in the next year or two.

What’s the best thing about visiting Brisbane? 

The welcoming atmosphere of artisan and the staff. This was my second ever exhibition, needless to say the nerves were acting up, everyone was very relaxed, accepting and supportive, That was the best part for me, outside of the excitement factor.

What’s your favourite piece in The Antipodean Steampunk Show? 

I have two. Steam Sphere by Michelle Murray - her work is so clean and precise, I was mesmerised by her craftsmanship. The other was the Tea Bag Jiggler 5 by Russell Anderson, love the mechanism and functionality of this piece - it instantly makes you want one. 

Meet the artist: Kate O'Brien

Kate O'Brien, Humbug Billy - The Bradford sweet poisoning of 1858, 2010. Digital photograph. 40.6 x 61cm

Kate O'Brien is a Brisbane-based photographer whose work is currently being featured in The Antipodean Steampunk Show. We caught up with Kate to chat about art, Brisbane, and Steampunk.

What was your first encounter with Steampunk? 

I believe it was a photograph of set designer, Kit Stolen by the Russian American photographic artist Nadya Lev. He is pictured wearing a dusty Victorian ensemble including a brocade vest and tailcoat with leather gloves and hair falls, equal parts black plastic strapping, dreadlocks and rusty springs. For a while there it was the image most people associated with the genre and is still in the top 10 results on google image search when you use Steampunk as your keyword.

Kate O'Brien, Hull, 2008. Digital photograph. 58.4 x 48.3cm

Where do you draw inspiration from for your photographs?

I don't tend to look at the other work of photographers very much, but rather I draw my inspiration from small details in paintings and historical clothing. I love looking at embroidery on Belle Époque gowns or William Morris wallpaper designs for visual cues for my own work. I also source a lot of French antiques and textiles to use as props and costumes. Often a small thing can inspire an elaborate image, such as the 200 year old silk Brocade I used for the waistcoat in my image, "Humbug Billy: The Bradford Sweet Poisoning of 1858".

What message do you take from the Steampunk movement?

I don't feel the movement is especially unified so it's hard to take one singular message from Steampunk. I can only speak for my own ideals and beliefs, which is that the decorative and ornamented  is what sets us apart from being soulless robots. In the last 100 years we have moved away from the skills and aesthetic beauty that used to be commonplace in ordinary household goods. It's no longer economically viable to allow the everyday consumer access to things made with craftsmanship and beauty and we are conditioned to believe that a clinical piece of hardware such as the iphone or ipad is the pinnacle of achievement in design and function. I believe and hope that after a century of having decoration systematically stripped out of our lives, the thirst for that beauty will return.  

Kate O'Brien, Ava Nara, 2008. Digital photograph. 50.8 x 40.6cm

Your photographs often feature elaborate sets and costumes. How long does it generally take for an image to go from concept to finished product?

It really depends on the concept and the financial constraints. I don't shoot as regularly as I used to, but that was a conscious decision so that I could refine my concepts and create a higher quality outcome. Some images sit in the back of my mind while I collect bits and pieces for them while others only take a couple of months. Many of the props in my images are from chance encounters and there is very little I can just decide I need and go and purchase. Even things like fabric, which is usually readily available needs to be sewn into a finish garment or backdrop. It's very labour intensive, but I think it helps me maintain the level of detail in my work that people immediately notice when they see my finished images. 

Kate O'Brien, Paris green, 2012. Digital photograph. 61 x 40.6cm.

Do you have a favourite piece in The Antipodean Steampunk Show?

I really love Russell Anderson's tea bag jiggler. It really personifies the quirkiness of the genre. It's the classic Steampunk "Infernal Contraption". Definitely my favourite piece in the show!

What’s the best thing about being an artist in Brisbane?

Without sounding too sappy, getting the opportunity to have my work in the show at Artisan and the support I've had from local Brisbane people whom I'd never met before. There is a strong sense of community in the Brisbane art scene and it is really encouraging for relatively new artists such as myself.

You can see Kate's work on display at Gallery artisan as part of The Antipodean Steampunk Show until the 15th of December.