Gerry Guthrie

Gerry Guthrie

Over these past fifty years I have enjoyed using different media to create an alternate world of calm confusion. Starting with drawing and printmaking, I moved to kinetic sculpture and then digital prints and computer animation. Since retirement, about ten years ago, my focus has been on the transformation of vintage cigar boxes.

I love the richly colored and embossed chromolithographs found under the lids of early 20th century cigar boxes and am particularly drawn to examples with unusual or quirky subject matter.

The cover illustrations usually feature a portrait of a historical figure or scene framed with a vignette. The goal is to reproduce the original printed image as closely as possible, but with animated elements, much like a moving collage.

These sections are printed on an inkjet printer, cut apart and glued onto thin brass sheets. The sections are then connected to gears and levers operated with a crank or handle. The box itself becomes the container for the mechanics, with the uppermost layer serving as a vignette.

People are often curious about the hidden mechanics, so there are QR codes on the back of each box that open online videos of the internal workings.

Most everything disassembles, so I can back up and take a different turn if need be. It’s much like solving a puzzle. The first few decisions are difficult because there are so many options, but they become more obvious until the final solutions fall into place.

Those are my most satisfying moments.