M. Heisler: Deconstructing Slobot
By Heather Ann Snodgrass
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M. Heisler is a painter, sculptor and digital artist who is no stranger to accidental creation or mild obsession. After a simple request from his wife for a drawing of a robot, he found himself obsessed - almost overnight - with the subject and as a result, his unique line of Slobots was born. Since then, his sculptures have found homes across the world, and have been featured in shows curated by kidrobot, Toy Tokyo NYC and uberbot. Behance caught up with the artist to hear the back story and what's next in the world of Slobot.
Inspiration is hardly an issue in the creation of his sculptures; Heisler found that a simple shift in perspective increased his artistic influences almost exponentially. "I developed a tendency to look at everyday objects through different eyes. I started seeing heads and feet and bodies for robots in everything I looked at. I began looking at the world around me with an open mind, and started to see alternate uses for everyday objects. I find myself assembling Slobots in my head most of the day, and then gluing odd items together into Slobot sculptures. [My wife] is the base source of inspiration, my muse, as the first robot was drawn for her and she sees them as they develop. I get inspired by 60s space age and mid-century design, toys, and the everyday objects that become the Slobots. Most of the Slobots have back stories, and sometimes the inspiration for the design or sculpture comes from that."
If anything, Heisler has an issue with over-stimulation, if one could actually class that an 'issue.' "I find that staying focused and motivated is a huge concern for me. Many times there are too many ideas and not enough hours. Sometimes its just the opposite, with no ideas and tons of time. I tend to have at least 10 different sculptures going at a given moment, in various states on completion and sketch books jammed with ideas sketched in the middle of the night for new sculptures and paintings. I keep thinking I have plumbed the depths of the Slobots, and that it is time to move on. Then I get another idea, and a new Slobot is born." Using definitive timelines helps him stay on focus. "It’s easier to stay on track when I have a definite deadline, when the work is directly for a client or for a show, I can focus pretty well. When I have the time blocked just to sculpt or paint without a definite out-time, I have to push myself that much harder."
When it comes to productivity, a similar shift in mindset benefited his art. "This may seem self-explanatory to some, but to me it has been a revelation of sorts. For years, I spurned the “early bird gets the worm” approach to creating. I insisted that I did my best work late at night, and routinely started sleeping as the sun was coming up, having worked all night. Recently, I started to get up and go to the beach for the sunrise, and then come back to the studio and start whatever work I had for the day. It has been remarkable to me how much more I get done in a day, how tired I can be when it comes to bed time, and how satisfied I am with my work and life in general. Since ninety-five percent of my adult life has been freelance and self-employed, this comes as a revelation, but also as a welcome bit of wisdom my grandfather would smile about."
Inspiration is hardly an issue in the creation of his sculptures; Heisler found that a simple shift in perspective increased his artistic influences almost exponentially. "I developed a tendency to look at everyday objects through different eyes. I started seeing heads and feet and bodies for robots in everything I looked at. I began looking at the world around me with an open mind, and started to see alternate uses for everyday objects. I find myself assembling Slobots in my head most of the day, and then gluing odd items together into Slobot sculptures. [My wife] is the base source of inspiration, my muse, as the first robot was drawn for her and she sees them as they develop. I get inspired by 60s space age and mid-century design, toys, and the everyday objects that become the Slobots. Most of the Slobots have back stories, and sometimes the inspiration for the design or sculpture comes from that."
If anything, Heisler has an issue with over-stimulation, if one could actually class that an 'issue.' "I find that staying focused and motivated is a huge concern for me. Many times there are too many ideas and not enough hours. Sometimes its just the opposite, with no ideas and tons of time. I tend to have at least 10 different sculptures going at a given moment, in various states on completion and sketch books jammed with ideas sketched in the middle of the night for new sculptures and paintings. I keep thinking I have plumbed the depths of the Slobots, and that it is time to move on. Then I get another idea, and a new Slobot is born." Using definitive timelines helps him stay on focus. "It’s easier to stay on track when I have a definite deadline, when the work is directly for a client or for a show, I can focus pretty well. When I have the time blocked just to sculpt or paint without a definite out-time, I have to push myself that much harder."
When it comes to productivity, a similar shift in mindset benefited his art. "This may seem self-explanatory to some, but to me it has been a revelation of sorts. For years, I spurned the “early bird gets the worm” approach to creating. I insisted that I did my best work late at night, and routinely started sleeping as the sun was coming up, having worked all night. Recently, I started to get up and go to the beach for the sunrise, and then come back to the studio and start whatever work I had for the day. It has been remarkable to me how much more I get done in a day, how tired I can be when it comes to bed time, and how satisfied I am with my work and life in general. Since ninety-five percent of my adult life has been freelance and self-employed, this comes as a revelation, but also as a welcome bit of wisdom my grandfather would smile about."
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Posted On
November 12th, 2007 | E-Mail This
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