Eric Freitas grew up near Chelsea.
He received a BFA in 1999 from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, and currently lives in Royal Oak, where he continues grinding gears and carving metal in his machine shop.
On Feb. 6 from 7-10 p.m., at Detroit’s Tangent Gallery, 715 E Milwaukee St. Freitas will be hosting a rare solo showing of his sculptural art clocks.Featured will be many examples of Freitas’ work and the processes involved in making these unique kinetic artworks.
The highlight of the exhibition will be the unveiling and only public showing of his latest and largest work, “The Jungers Commission.” This massive, seven-foot tall, free-standing clockwork sculpture consists of thousands of parts, every one hand machined and sculpted (down to the screws and chain links), and is the end product of a year and a half of all-encompassing obsessive effort. The result is a massive, multisided, mechanical clock whose forms are organic and weathered, looking more like something that was grown rather than machined. This will be the only time this artwork will be publicly displayed before it is shipped off to a private collection in Milwaukee, Wisc.
A collection of Freitas’ earlier clocks will also be exhibited, accompanied by an abundance of sketches, technical drawings and finished concept renderings. There will be a video running throughout the show, giving attendees an inside look at the entire gear making process in Freitas’ workshop, which employs rehabilitated machines that are the discards of Detroit’s auto industry. Also presented will be Eric’s first mechanical clock from over a decade ago.
Doors will be open at 7 p.m. Complimentary, signed prints for the first 50 arrivals.
No cover – Cash bar.
