If you would like to see any of these pieces in person, feel free to contact me though the website to make an appointment. The following works are currently available as of May 2023.
American Mettle Series
Currently on loan to the Art in Embassies Program through the United States Department of State. $4,495 – Measures 44 inches as measured diagonally from Maine to California. More photos on Instagram at #ianbirdart. As its title suggests, there are 4 horses in this piece, This work is made of sheet metal from automobiles, machinery, etc., and other objects from my collection. Each state is created after carefully selecting the right piece from thousands of parts. Though each piece is different, they work together to make a cohesive whole.
Everything I use had its own life and story before it came to me. I relate to their scratches, dents, faded paint and rust through my own experiences. For me, there is an evocation of nostalgia by using these fragments of old things. My work is not just about what you see before you, but what the parts once were.
*A build sheet with a list of materials is provided with this piece*
$12,500 – Measures 7 feet 6 inches as measured diagonally from Maine to California and is the largest of these I have made. This work is made of sheet metal from automobiles, machinery, etc., and other objects from my collection. Each state is created after carefully selecting the right piece from thousands of parts. Though each piece is different, they work together to make a cohesive whole.
Everything I use had its own life and story before it came to me. I relate to their scratches, dents, faded paint and rust through my own experiences. For me, there is an evocation of nostalgia by using these fragments of old things. My work is not just about what you see before you, but what the parts once were.
NOTE – It is designed for a very large space.
Benches and Tables
Abstracts
$695 – measures 43 x 23 x 2 1/2 inches. Made completely of metal. Each panel contains 41 pieces of car body, All 3 are mounted to the remains of a 1966 Chevrolet Impala convertible trunk lid. The frame is made of angle iron. There are 246 tinner rivets holding the bits of metal in place, and the work itself is made of over 130 individual pieces. Each panel is the same pattern. The piece is designed to have the viewer consider line and shape as well as color.
$475 Measures 48 1/4 x 16 3/4 x 1 inches. White from 60’s Dodge car hood, Black from late 60’s Chevrolet trunk deck, Chrome strip from 1956 Ford Car. Frame made of steel angle iron.
$995 – Measures 36 1/4 x 23 1/4 x (4 inches deep) Open Road is a nostalgic reflection of my first car. Beyond the rust, stuck bolts and bald tires, it represented freedom.
Signs
$295 – measures 34.5 x 10 x 2 inches. Made from vintage car sheet metal with original paint. Hand drawn designs cut with a band saw. Black – 61 Mercury Comet, Green – Edsel Blue – 80’s Oldsmobile. Chrome from unknown vintage car.
$275 – Measures 43 x 6 x 2.5 inches. Made from vintage car parts and scrap aluminum. Letters designed by hand and cut with a band saw. Black – 61 Mercury Comet, End caps were from the windings of an electric motor. Chrome strips from unknown vintage car.
$250 – Measures 25 x 9.5 x 1.5 inches. Made from vintage sheet metal with original paint. Font designed by hand and cut with a band saw. Blue – 79 Chrysler Newport, Yellow- 60’s GE refrigerator door, White – unknown vintage car hood.
$135 – measures 16.5 inches diameter. Made from various vintage car parts, and steel flat bar.
Sold $350 – Measures 35 x 16 x 2 inches. Made from vintage car parts. Font was inspired by a 1958 “Coldspot” refrigerator emblem. Vintage reflective glass marbles are inserted into the diamonds.
$115 each – Measure 10 1/4 inches. Made from car parts, and other metal bits. Several to choose from.
$125 – Measures 14×9.5 inches. “Montego” emblem from 70’s Mercury, sheet metal from various vintage cars.
$125 – Measures 14×9.5 inches. “Caliente” emblem from 60’s Mercury. and sheet metal from various vintage cars.
$95 – Measures 11 x 8 inches. Emblem from unknown year Ford Fairlane 500, Shapes made from vintage car parts.
$95 – Measures 14 x 12 inches. “Belvedere” emblem from late 50’s Plymouth, shapes made from vintage car parts.
$95 – Measures 15 x 10 inches. “Mainline” was emblem from ’52-’56 Ford. Shapes are from vintage car parts.
Whales, Fish and Birds
$295 – Measures 35 x 13 inches. Made from various vintage automobile panels in original paint. The fish sculpture is assembled with rivets and screws.
$295 – Measures 35 x 13 inches. Made from various vintage automobile panels in original paint. The fish sculpture is assembled with rivets and screws.
$195 each, several available. Measures 12 inches in diameter. Each one is made of numerous pieces of vintage car sheet metal with original paint. Each individual part is cut by hand and then assembled with rivets and screws. Frame made of steel flat bar formed into a ring.
$250 – Measures 36 inches. Made from the hood of an unknown 70’s era American car. Riveted together in sections. Glass marble used for eye.
$250 – Measures 36 inches. Made from the hood of a 70’s Ford Maverick car hood. Riveted together in sections. Glass marble used for eye.
SOLD -$495 – Measures 33 inches in diameter. Made from vintage car parts with original paint. Frame made of flat bar steel and formed into a ring. Dark blue -1979 Chrysler Newport hood, white – 60’s Dodge hood, red – 70’s Ford Courier truck hood, yellow- 60’s GE refrigerator door. Light blue background – hood from unknown car.
$250 – Measures 36 inches. Made from the hood of an late 60’s GMC truck hood. Riveted together in sections. Glass marble used for eye.
$250 – Measures 36 inches. Made from the hood of a 1979 Chrysler Newport hood. Riveted together in sections, glass marble used for eye.
$95 each – Measure 24 inches. 12 to choose from. Made from vintage car parts and riveted together. Green glass marble used for eye.
$450 – Made from the hood of an 80’s Ford Truck hood, and other sheet metal. Black glass marble used for eye.
NOTE – I only have the top 54″ inch whale in stock as of Dec 2022. All other sizes have sold.
Top – 54 inches
Middle – 36 inches
Bottom – 24 inches
Random Thoughts
$2500 – Measures 51 1/2 x 37 x 8 inches. House made from 2 very weathered 70’s era Cadillac hoods. Main panel is a weathered hood from a 1979 Buick LeSabre. Frame is made from angle iron and carriage bolts. I built this piece after revisiting some works of one of my favorite artists, William Christenberry. For me, his work captures the passage of time and gathers the essence of place. I decided to throw my own spin on his concept. I have always had a great appreciation for abandoned places. They are full of mysteries and cause my mind to wander.
$3,500 – Grill and fender assembly from a 1950 Willys Overland Jeepster, designed by famous industrial designer Brooks Stevens. The hood is from a later model Jeepster, hood ornament is from a 1949 Ford and the bumper is from a 1948(ish) Cadillac. All is mounted on corrugated barn tin with a frame made of angle iron. Carriage bolts were used to simulate rivets on the frame. One of the headlights was missing from the grill when I got it. Rather than replacing the headlight, I opted to fill the void with an eye. The eye is made of a Cadillac and Chevrolet wheel cover, a piece of a 95 Chevrolet Suburban (blue) and a glass magnifying lens – presumably from an overhead projector. I’m sure this old machine had an interesting story to tell
$850 – Measures 35 x 21.5 x 5 inches. Made of sheet metal from cars, machines and signs. All of the selected objects are circular to enhance the sense of motion. This piece is designed to keep your eye in constant motion.
$115 – Measures 10 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches. Green from early 70’s Plymouth trunk lid, chrome trim from unknown automobile. Plymouth emblem, and 2 “Fury” emblems joined to make “Furry”. Tell your friends it was a special van package for the raging “vanner” era of the 60’s and 70’s.
$295 – Measures 14 x 14 x 4 1/2 inches. Gloss black from late model Mercedes door, chrome trim frame from unknown vintage car, Chrome ring – headlight bezel from unknown vintage car, speedometer/gauge cluster from 1964 Ford truck.
Serial N0. 2/26/2020-16
$65 – Measures 20 x 3 1/4 x 1 inches. Emblem from a Ford Fairlane attached to a piece of 70’s Lincoln hood. Lincoln hood formed in metal break.
Serial No. 2/20/2020 – 12
$95 – Measures 13 3/4 x 8 1/2 x 1 1/2. Burgundy was a 60’s Ford Mustang roof I found by the side of the railroad tracks in Memphis, TN. Green was the door of a Kelvinator refrigerator I got at Lenny’s scrapyard in High View, WV. The letters are lead foundry type.
Serial No. 3/22/19-17
