Tools In Motion

Works from the Hechinger Collection

“Tools are what make us human and allow us to build civilization; they make work possible, they make ideas possible.”

— Charlie Brouwer

“Men have become the tools of their tools.”

– Henry David Thoreau

A selection of dynamic works from John Hechinger’s collection of tool-themed art, Tools in Motion celebrates the dignity of common tools and the intrinsic beauty of their design, where form and function are inextricably linked.

This one-of-a-kind exhibition features fifty stand-out pieces based on familiar forms—hammers, saws and wrenches—transformed into art of great imaginative power using a wide range of materials and techniques. Some of them, by way of texture, color, and the vigor of their design, evoke the rhythm and force of tools in action; others, like Maria Josephy’s whimsical “Prometheus,” meld history, wit, and common hardware into lighthearted odes to the timeless, panhuman nature of tools themselves. Other remarkable paintings and sculpture twist everyday tools into surreal forms or flesh-like configurations, highlighting the origin of tools as extensions of the hands and dreams of their human inventors. The artists in the exhibition range from emerging to world renowned, including notable figures such as Arman, Jim Dine, Claes Oldenburg, and Jacob Lawrence.

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