Artist Spotlight: TILTCYCLE
We've focused this blog on a look at the largest pinball tournament in the world, but today I want to point out that ReplayFX, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is way more than just a pinball tournament--it's a festival. When you are a competitive pinball player like myself you might get tunnel vision and spend a weekend doing nothing but playing pinball. And if you did that, you'd be missing out on all the artists that rent booths and showcase their work. You'd be missing out on Tiltcycle.
Wu Tang Joker Pinball
I'd be hard pressed to put what Dan does to words better than he can, so I'll let him speak for himself on this:
My work evokes nostalgia and reminds you of a joyful past. Combining the old with the new, it directs your attention to long forgotten beauty now slated for the landfill. My mission is to preserve and rescue and to leave a legacy of beauty revived. Through the repurpose of broken and discarded materials, I challenge the viewer to focus on the details and in doing so reassign their value to art.
This quote is drawn from the Tiltcycle website, the Artist Statement.
Combining the old with the new. Wu Tang Joker Pinball. I have to say this might be my favorite piece. (Although, I might say that about a bunch of his other pieces, too.) It's not just taking an old Joker Poker and using Wu Tang Cookie Cutter wherever you please. Dan sees symmetry and gets a sense of the piece beforehand. The choices he made feel right to me. What do you think?
Taxi Sharpshooter
Dan Burfield isn't taking working machines and gutting them for his projects. He isn't even gutting projects for his projects (a project is a pinball machine that needs lots of work but can still be salvaged). Think about it like a car. The cars he's working with have been totaled. He buys them in bulk, up to fifty at a time. And if he finds any working parts he donates them to PAPA. So please don't worry pinball purists, if Dan's made art out of it--it's too far gone to be of any use in a working machine.
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Wow! Are you serious? The only thing I didn't like about this one was that it was already sold. But of course it was, just look at it. Now that I've seen it, I'm wondering which designer will put out the pinball dress. Because it just works!
Exxon Supreme
I like that Tiltcycle is fresh, bringing together ideas from anywhere and any time.
Pinball Nightlights
I have two of these! I really like them.
Dan's a Lucky Family Man and Here's Where You Can Find Him.
It's true. Dan has a lovely wife and two little girls. And he has a job that he loves. And a hobby that he loves. And he's out there making fantastic art. Check him out.