Artists

Artist Bio

Rod Klingelhofer is a visual artist living and working in Dearborn, MI. His sculptures use cast-off materials, industrial fabrics and sewn construction to re-interpret urban spaces and cartographies and to comment on systems of ecology and trade. Originally from Macon, GA, he has lived in metropolitan Detroit since 1999, working in the automotive industry as concept and prototype fabricator. In 2005, he graduated from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and received his Master of Fine Arts in Fiber at Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI in 2008. He has shown work throughout Michigan and in Ontario, Canada; Ohio and New York. www.rodklingelhofer.com

ArtX Project Description

Title: Stuffed: A Theory of Human Motivation
Medium: Installation
Year Created: 2011
Description: Rod Klingelhofer asks, “What do you want?” In a consumer culture, he believes it is tempting for us to equate getting stuff with being happier. Stuffed: A Theory of Human Motivation questions that equation. Certainly, there is an amount of stuff required for well-being; but at some point the accumulation of more can become an end in itself. Stuffed is a mechanized sculpture made of vinyl and steel that depicts the modern dilemma of life’s pursuits once basic needs are met. Operating like a grain elevator, ‘stuff’ accumulates at an upper level to the point of overflow. Conveyor belts collect and move the excess through the system, representing the cyclical nature of consumerism. Can the life we want be produced? Do our homes hold us? Does the car take us where we want to go? Do the phones connect us? What do you really want? www.rodklingelhofer.com