Metal wizardry

At first glance, you wouldn't think that a rusted and twisted piece of an old automobile would be a thing of beauty. But give it to Michael Weems and he can transform it into a piece of art.

Weems said he is inspired by the natural beauty he sees in the raw metals that he finds in the desert near his Palm Springs home. One of the first pieces that caught his attention was an old truck hood.

"It looked like a Nantucket sunset. It was blue and gold and yellow," he said. "One part looked liked an oil painting of a sunset and that's what I fell in love with."

Weems, who gained extensive experience in design and fashion through his work with Gucci and Tiffany & Co., began working with reclaimed metal about a year ago. He will discuss his work at 2 p.m. Thursday at Robb & Stucky, located in Town Square Las Vegas. His presentation is part of the store's monthly design series and is open to the public.

The artist said he sees himself much like the staff of the Emerald City in "The Wizard of Oz" who helped transform Dorothy and her friends into more beautiful and presentable versions of themselves before they went to see the wizard.

"Once I decide the shape of a piece, then I either cut it or bend it into the shape of the platter. It is then sand-blasted, torched, beaten, twisted and powder coated. Then I decide what color or if it should be nickel plated or chromed. Then it is polished, sealed and ready to go," he said.

His collection includes bowls, platters and sculptures.

Before switching to reclaimed metal, Weems worked with etched glass and crystal.

"I wanted a change in medium and I didn't know what medium I wanted to go into next. I really love glass, but I wanted to do glass in a different matter."

He said he considered working with big chunks of raw or recycled glass, but didn't feel they would allow him to express himself properly.

"So, I was out hiking in the desert, out clearing my mind and looking at clouds, relaxing and opening my mind's eye up. I came across some old cars and pieces of metal rusting in the desert. They were all beaten by the sun, the moon, the wind and the stars. I thought they were so gorgeous and I saw so much beauty in them that I felt I needed to bring these pieces back to life and share their beauty with others."

Weems said the reworked metal pieces of art represent "us as humans.

"I look at these pieces and they've already had a life; then they were thrown out and left to wither. They are so different than glass, which had to be perfect and pristine. This is all banged up with flaws. We come into life all perfect and then, through life, we break bones, get into car accidents, get cancer, get our hearts broken, fall into love. ... Through all these beatings we take, we overeat, we lose our hair, and we're still creatures of love. And as screwed up as we may be in our own right, we are all still beautiful and that beauty is to be shared. We are wonderful additions to the world and I see these pieces as the exact same things."

Francine Goldenberg, manager of the Boutique at Robb & Stucky Town Square, said she has known Weems for about eight years and seen his growth as an artist. She said she believes his new work with reclaimed metal truly shows the evolution of his work.

"When I did the glass and crystal, I really loved the pieces. They set a beautiful table, but this is so much more me," Weems said.

The Maryland native became an artist by accident. He said he was studying to be a psychologist and working for AT&T. During a visit a friend in California, he met a psychic who told him that his life was about to change and that he would work with all the earth elements, including glass, wood and metal. At the time, he thought she was looney as he had never taken an art class. But when he returned home, he was downsized from his job.

With time on his hands and a new home to decorate, he began experimenting with paint from a local home store. When he was encouraged by friends to show his work to a local gallery, he did and was promptly scoffed at. Despite this, they asked for four of his paintings, which sold in an hour. Weems said he continued to paint until he felt he needed a new challenge in his life.

He said he wanted to learn about jewelry and through his association with Tiffany & Co., he was hired. But because he knew nothing about jewelry, he was put to work in the tabletop department.

"I began putting together these really cool tables and people would come in and buy everything on the table. I felt there had to be some way to take my art and bring it to the table. I taught myself how to etch glass and it took off like crazy; that's how my collection came to be," he said.

Joining Weems at Thursday's presentation will be a representative from Juliska, a manufacturer of high-end, decorative stemware, bowls, ceramics and more.

There is no fee to attend, but reservations are requested and can be made by calling 531-0539.

Robb & Stucky Interiors is located at 6521 Las Vegas Blvd. South.