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Local Artist Fashions Sculptures for the Heart and Soul
Native San Diegan Jeffrey Steorts (pronounced “Storts”) is a self-taught artist who channels his love of architecture and the industrial age to create works of art with a medieval flair and spiritual message. His pieces incorporate found objects with gold, copper, and silver-leafed wood, along with an array of steel and brass fasteners which add a mechanical feel.
Part of Steorts’ creative process involves searching for the right materials, a “hunt” he thoroughly enjoys because of the variety of places it takes him—swap meets, antique shops and thrift stores.
He is especially drawn to old clocks, compasses, and keys. Once the materials for a piece have been gathered, intricate wood and metal working are required. As a result, the creation can take months, or even years.
Steorts says he enjoys giving objects their own special meaning.
Steorts recalls he was given a watch by his grandfather when he was a child. “I was intrigued by the mechanisms. I thought that they were beautiful in a very functional way. As an artist, I incorporate my own meaning to the raw materials and objects I use.
It is very much like my mind is attracted to the objects and my soul gives them a deeper meaning. A clock or watch is mechanical, but to me it is also alive and moving.”
He has been told that his art has a “Steampunk” style (described by Wikipedia as “featuring anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them”), but with a more whimsical side—which he jokingly refers to as “Steammonk” because of the spiritual dimension of his work and the focus on heart and soul.
Steorts says that his art is intended to create something intriguing and “interactive that tempts the viewer to touch or seek inside to find the treasure within.”
The small compartments of his pieces hold various objects such as scrolls with his poetry, mirrors, and clocks. The overall theme of his art he says is to “still the mechanism that is the mind and seek within for the spiritual reality that is the soul.”
For more information on Steorts’ work,
call 619-294-3910, or visit his website at www.jeffsteorts.com
Steorts’ architectural sculptures would be ideal for foyers in luxury homes. He calls them “Wall Jewelry.” Whether inserted in a glass table or hanging from the ceiling, the sculptures would add uniqueness and beauty to an entryway.
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Intricate wood and metal working are required. As a result, the creation can take months, or even years.
Throne of Soul: This piece stands about 6 feet high, and contains smaller compartmentd, a scroll of poetry, and a gothic mirror. A common element among Steorts' pieces are the letters: "OM", for the sacred incantation intoned prior to prayers or mantras.
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