Russian Artist Creates Steampunk Sculptures Inspired by Nature

Sculpture Digest | March 10, 2016 | Steampunk Sculpture

Sculptor Childishly Dreaming About Unattainable Things Results in Amazing Art

In February we reported about Steampunk artist Sue Beatrice who creates incredible tiny sculptures from (and sometimes inside) old watches.

Igor Verniy also creates sculptures in the Steampunk vein. His works are a bit larger scale than Beatrice’s although they are still relatively small pieces–perfect for table tops.

Verniy’s works include moving parts and incredible attention to detail. They range from elegant to whimsical to beautiful to a bit ghoulish.

Observing nature is what inspires and informs his work. They may be stylized, but he aims to capture their movements. The octopus pictured below is unmistakable. But at the same time it calls to mind a deep sea diver and had us wandering around the room waving our arms saying, “Danger Will Robinson!” (If you are too young to understand that reference, check out “Lost in Space” or just ask a Baby Boomer and they will probably be able to demonstrate the moves.)

We also find it interesting to compare the Steampunk Octopus with his art glass compatriot by Kiva Ford which we wrote about earlier this month.

If nature is Igor’s source of inspiration, his medium is very much man-made. He will build his creations from scrap metal. Sometimes they are pieces that he has found or bought at a local flea market or garage sale. Other bits include ‘donations’ from friends, family, and even strangers. He has been known to use car or bicycle parts as well as flatware…just about anything is fair game to this artist.

“At heart, I’m an artist, and see the beauty of this world in bright colors, but I’m a technician, too. The combination of these two qualities has led to the creation of metal models”