I would like to know if there are any serious modern artists who have
created gallery art using a spirogrpah (the childern's toy). I’d also
like to know if there are any clubs or groups where adults discuss the
spirogrpah and making artwork with it. I’m NOT interested in the
digital versions of the spirograph, such as the java aplets and what
not. I want to find adults who play with the actual thing with a pen
and paper in meatspace and all that.

Thanks!

Hello Futurebird,

Seattle-based artist Jeffrey Simmons makes use of Spirograph
techniques in his work:
Jeffrey Simmons Works on Paper
http://www.gregkucera.com/simmonsPaper.htm
"Simmons’ Rotary Pictures use concentric circles and "Spirograph"
techniques. The placement of each group of circles on the surface -
centered left to right and slightly towards the top - is intended to
mimic the placement of the head in a typical bust portrait."

To quote Eric Fredericksen on theStranger.com
http://www.thestranger.com/1999-10-07/stranger_suggests.html
"Simmons shows work painted using an easel which SPINS AROUND in
complicated patterns. For this show, he's showing three series:
Trochoid, where the easel spins like a Spirograph"

On exhibition "Directions" by contemporary sculptor Tim Hawkins at the
Hirshorn Gallery of Modern Art, David A. Mazzotta reports:
http://www.provide.net/~dmazzotta/dcrun.html
"A mechanical turntable that was embedded in a wooden chair that was
connected to a ball point pen and was simply writing out the authors
signature over and over on little white slips of paper.  (...) There
was a huge drawing of some sort that can only be described as a red
tubular spirograph image."

And you may know the famous 1958 Vertigo movie poster by Saul Bass --
which happens to be my all-time favorite movie poster. Traces of its
influence appear even in modern advertisement. What we see is a bright
orange background, overlayed by the silhouettes of protagonists James
Stewart and Kim Novak, on top of a white circular spirograph-like
shape*:
http://pages.prodigy.net/bhuelbig/vertigo.gif

Another artist, Ian Dawson, quote Jeff Crane on Artnet.com:
http://www.artnet.com/Magazine/reviews/crane/crane9-20-00.asp
"Dawson is also exhibiting several Spirograph drawings. Using the
popular children's toy, Dawson makes fresh and clean drawings in blue
ballpoint pen on meticulously prepared panels. The regularly spiraling
shapes are as fascinating now as they ever were"

Also of interest may be New York artist Judy Pfaff, quote Keri Guten
Choen at Freep.com:
http://www.freep.com/fun/arts/qgal15.htm
"Gallery director Joyce Brienza likens Pfaff's plethora of perfect
circles to wild use of a Spirograph."


I hope this answers your question and also gives you some ideas where
to look further!

*Image from:
http://pages.prodigy.net/bhuelbig/html4.htm


More links:

Saul Bass biography at Hollywood.com
http://www.hollywood.com/celebs/bio/celeb/348503

Brett Bayne, collector of Spirographs
http://www.brettbayne.com/objetsdart.html

Brad Shelton, offering a Spirograph movie on his Computer Graphics
page
http://www.uoregon.edu/~math/grapict.html

Related newsgroups:
    rec.arts.fine
    rec.toys.misc

Search terms used:
    spirograph "op art"
    spirograph "Jeffrey Simmons"
    spirograph "modern art" -java
    vertigo poster [Google images]
    spirograph art [Google groups]

This was JUST the kind of stuff I wanted! Thank you!!!

Ian Dawson actually uses a spirograph to create AMAZING pieces. It's
like your child fantasy come to life...everything you always wished
you could do with Spirograph, of only you could keep the pen in the
#$^%#$^ hole  :)

Here's a link...there are three images.  Don't forget to go the next
next page to find the last one.

http://www.sculpture.wsa.soton.ac.uk/id/pages/id10.htm

Tim