Creators Finding Inspiration Outside Themselves

Robert Bradford’s plastic toy sculptures originally began with a box of his children’s old toys that he found. He began experimenting with them and eventually created unique art works such as these:

("Toy Girl")

("Gun Dog")

The idea that people have various reactions towards different objects was the inspiration behind these sculptures. Bradford believed that every object held a history and meaning relative to the spectator, and that size, shape, and color of the item could trigger a memory or emotion whether good or bad. His sculptures serve as living time capsules where ill-forgotten fads and popular trends come to life once more. Bradford’s creations present the opportunity for older generations to take a walk down memory lane, while at the same time, creating new experiences for younger audiences.

When discussing a creator’s source of inspiration, it is always a mixture of personal and impersonal experiences. An artist can never truly use just himself as a means of enlightenment. There are other aspects within the world such as nature, politics, and media that stimulate artistic insight. Bradford’s imaginative sculptures may have started as a discarded pile of junk, but each individual item was eventually given a purpose and thus, transformed into a larger piece of work with significance.