Andy Tibbetts is an artist and fabricator whose work is grounded in a deep understanding of materials, processes and how things are made.
Growing up around art, tools and making, Andy developed an early interest in creating physical objects. By his teens, that interest had focused on metalworking and fabrication.
He went on to work in heavy construction, including installing chairlifts at ski resorts, gaining experience with welding, large structures, cranes, helicopters and assembling difficult things in difficult environments. His technical education also included professional machine-shop experience, expanding his knowledge of machining, tooling, fixtures and production methods.
Wanting a deeper understanding of structures and how they work, Andy earned a B.S. in Structural Engineering from Portland State University in 2008.
Art continued alongside that career. Andy began sketching The Clock Ship Teresita, commonly known as The C.S. Tere, in 2004, with fabrication beginning in 2008. The project brought together sculpture, structural design, custom mechanical systems, metal fabrication, hydraulics, controls and fire effects.
After beginning to take on art commissions in 2009, Andy returned to engineering in 2010, but increasingly found his direction elsewhere. In 2013, an opportunity to work with artist Catherine Widgery provided the transition to art and fabrication full time. Passing Storms became their first major project together, followed by a steady succession of public-art and fabrication commissions.
In 2016, Andy relocated LostMachine Design to Reno, Nevada, to be closer to family and more centrally located for work throughout the West.
Understanding what a material can do informs what can be imagined with it.
Today, Andy works both as an artist and as a fabrication and technical partner for other artists, studios and organizations. His work ranges from small, highly detailed objects to kinetic sculpture, architectural artwork and multi-ton public installations.
His approach treats art and fabrication as interconnected disciplines. Understanding a process changes how an object can be designed. Knowing how to build the work allows technical constraints to become part of the creative process.
Scale changes. Materials change. The underlying approach does not: understand the material, understand the process, and use both as part of developing the work.
Original work and technical collaboration for ambitious physical projects.
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