Eisenberg’s mixed media

Whether it’s the junk drawer in the kitchen, a box of electrical cord spaghetti, or that area in the garage or closet with the precariously balanced mountain of random items you dare not breathe next to out of fear of a potential avalanche, we’re all familiar with that stash of ever-growing clutter.

For Marc Eisenberg however, this clutter is the centre of inspiration.

Proudly born and bred in Texas, Marc is known for his ‘steampunk-esque’ mixed media assemblage art. Much like the 3D version of a collage, he decides on a focal piece such as a musical instrument and screws components from discarded items on to it.

The intentional selection and placement of add-ons have everything to do with breathing life into the focal piece that might otherwise be considered junk. For instance, in the case of guitars, Eisenberg uses the sound hole as the mouth of the face with other facial features unfolding as he begins attaching smaller pieces.

So for example, the piece titled ‘Looking At You Kid’ has a pair of beady eyes poking out from the fretboard along with what could be interpreted as a pointing finger made from a piece of a discarded headset. Similarly, Asian Tunes is a guitar infused with East Asian features created from old circuit boards.

‘How I Came To Lose My Head’ is a perfect example of how Marc infuses personality into discarded objects – such as, in this case an old guitar with a fretboard that leads up to a broken head.

A guitar is useless without its head and might as well be discarded as a result. However, by screwing in several smaller pieces into the fretboard and body of the guitar, and attaching the guitar head to the bottom of the piece instead, this masterpiece truly lives up to its name.

Part of the beauty of Eisenberg’s work is that he allows the pieces to be what they want to be. There’s a deeper level of communication between the assemblage artist and the found objects that seek revival. Faces can’t be forced onto pieces that choose to express their personalities in different ways.

For example, Marc recognises, appreciates and enhances the innate beauty of certain instruments by merely fine-tuning them with minimalistic add-ons.

‘Mandolin’ is a stunning self-titled piece that epitomises natural beauty with elegantly placed clock gears that curve over the body of the mandolin. They snake up the neck to create what one might interpret as a dance inspired as much by the passage of time as it is by the curvature of the mandolin.

Not all of Eisenberg’s artwork is necessarily happy-golucky. In fact, some of his work focusses on raising awareness about social issues in many ways.

Given that Marc’s very first assemblage piece was put together using a WWII rifle that once hung on display in his garage, it’s no surprise that this artist is somewhat knowledgeable about guns. It’s an interest that was fuelled by his rabbit hunting childhood on ranch land.

But Eisenberg firmly believes in educating people on the issues related to gun violence and safety, and has several pieces that shed light on the matter.

‘This One Won’t Kill Students’ was completed the day of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. And he had completed ‘When Will It Stop’ only a little while before the shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas.

Meanwhile, ‘Time For Discussion’ initiates the conversation on gun violence. On this piece is a strip of paper with the following typed text: “My son owns guns, and in this country he has a right to. As his father, I also have a right to discuss gun issues with him. We don’t always agree but we do discuss.”

With a flower poking out of the barrel of a gun that shares its space with a clarinet, ‘Four Dead In Ohio’ is a nod to the famous song by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young that was written about the shootings at Kent State University in the 1970s.