Here’s a peek into what a few of the junkyard regulars are up to these days!

Recently, we caught up with three former junkyard regulars, Kal Spelletich, Charlie Gadeken, and Harrod Blank to hear about what they’ve been up to lately. Using newfound free time in the last year to focus on their own projects, they’ve all been quite busy!

Kal Spelletich has been exploring the architecture of the universe.

Continuing his work with art and technology, Kal has been reimagining the ways technology can be utilized outside of capital gain. Whether by recreating an old science experiment, or building artificial organs, Kal is “seeking poetic juxtapositions found in the collision of hand-built machines, high-tech hardware, and biological systems.”

Capturing this “poetic juxtaposition” in Scaling the Cosmos: Global Human Positioning Night Sky Laboratory, Kal intends to point a laser from the top of the Salesforce Tower to Mount Tam.

Recreating an 1849 experiment that measured the speed of light, Scaling the Cosmos would engage technology in a new way: for art, not capital.

Kal is continuing this exploration in Organs Sound the Body by building artificial organs, including lungs, a brain, a heart, a kidney, and skin. Put simply, “I create experiences that explore the human desire for transcendence because ultimately humanity will prevail over technology.”

Charlie Gadeken has been continuing his work at the Box Shop, with specific consideration for collaborative art.

For his latest endeavor, Charlie has gathered 90 local artists to create The Box Shop Mural Project, allowing each artist to create their own unique mural and have their artwork displayed for the India Basin neighborhood to see. The project has given young artists an opportunity and platform to begin “finding themselves” and “realizing they can make a living at it.”

Check out photos of the murals here!

Additionally, Charlie has wrapped up an art installation in Golden Gate Park this past spring, entitled Entwined Meadow. This piece is comprised of multiple metal-crafted trees and flower clusters, each with weather-inspired LED lighting in various shades and colors. The installation ran from December 10, 2020, through April 6, 2021.

Entwined offered folks a safe outdoor event to see during peak pandemic times: “Having this giant illuminated festive experience at the park was just incredible because people were so desperate for something to be celebratory. You know, meet their grandparents, take the kids, take the dog, and like meet their friends, and go on first dates, and like all of this experience was happening there.”

Entwined Meadow at dusk in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Photo by Blandine Avot. — ***Entwined Meadow*** at dusk in **Golden Gate Park**, San Francisco. Photo by Blandine Avot.

Harrod Blank has been building a non-profit museum to showcase art cars, or to the uninitiated – automobiles that have been artistically modified for fun. Art Car World will feature 27 art cars, including Oh My God!, an artist residency, a performance space, and the arches from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics which will be on display in the parking lot with shrines and sculptures built throughout.

Of the pandemic’s impact on Art Car World’s progress, Harrod said, “I just work even harder. I actually blew out my right elbow from doing too much labor, because I’ve been building this world. I’m overworked, but it’s good because I’ve gotten a lot done.”

Thank you to Kal, Charlie, and Harrod for keeping us up to date with their current work and thoughts! The last year has offered unprecedented opportunity to create. Kal put it best when he told us, “How lucky to be an artist.” We’ve enjoyed learning more about what they are up to and sharing with you all.

Junkyard Crew: Boogaloo?

Here’s a peek into what a few of the junkyard regulars are up to these days!