Nemo Gould

Roll Up Project is pleased to present sculptures by Nemo Gould. Gould is interested in craftsmanship and technology, and his sculptures are precisely constructed to look like manufactured objects. He incorporates found elements from clocks, guns, medical devices, and more to bring attention to the history of fine craftsmanship, and to propose alternative applications for objects whose primary uses feel outmoded.

Several sculptures based on guns fill the window on Harrison Street. For Gould, as most people, guns are symbols of violence and intimidation. But he also thinks about how Americans rely on guns to solve problems to an unreasonable degree. Gould notes that in this series, he is satirically creating specialized guns to solve the complex problems of today, such as water and fuel shortages, diplomacy, and the opiate crisis. Upon closer inspection of the sculptures, the dangerous elements of the guns have been stripped away, making space for other types of interaction. Sometimes the gun’s triggers are inoperable, and evoke feelings of powerlessness, or a loss of control. In other cases, the triggers are used as activators for kinetic elements in the sculpture, inviting the beholder to complete the sculpture by interacting with it. For example, pulling the trigger of Hand Gun V3 (2023) activates a vibration device, so the holder can shake hands with someone from a distance. The absurdity of the interaction, paired with the space-age aesthetics of the sculpture, impart levity and imply that the solutions to issues of diplomacy clearly require a human touch rather than a piece of technology. Hand Gun V3 also plays with the language of politics, such as ‘reaching across the aisle’ and ‘glad-handing.’ Tyranny of the Masses (2017) suggests the challenges inherent in collaboration – in order for the weapon to fire, three operators have to agree on a target and simultaneously pull three triggers. The inevitability of dissent and the imperfection of timing render the gun useless.

In the Third Street windows, two sculptures address labor and competition. The Grind (2021) features a prosthetic arm connected to a crank that, when activated by the viewer, reaches out to grasp a dollar bill dangling on a hook. Beside it, Bored to Death (2023) is composed of two power drills in battle, drilling each other nearly out of existence. Light glows through their hole-riddled bodies, creating a dazzling disco effect at night. These sculptures imply a sense of helplessness, an inevitable lack of control, where the guns in the Harrison Street windows are more focused on solutions and actions. But both perspectives encourage the viewer to envision new approaches to these complicated topics. How can we take action without relying on tools that distance us from the unsavory details? Or can we build new tools that don’t simply follow the methods of old ones?

About the Artist

Self-described “Chairman of the Hoard” Nemo Gould is a master accumulator, of both materials and building techniques alike. His Oakland studio is a veritable museum of old objects and technology which he blends into his signature style of kinetic sculpture. Gould received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1998, and his MFA in sculpture from U.C. Berkeley in 2000. His work is featured in museums and collections throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Learn more about Nemo Gould at https://nemogould.com/