Best viewed on desktop
Hi
This is the story of Drew Fank, a boy of 19 from the imaginary town of Sparkleton, Pennsylvania.
Drew’s Diary, (Detail) in progress Ink and pencil on cut and folded paper and on gessoed board
Cake Balls, (Detail) 2015 Tube: Acrylic ink on taped and glued plastic Balls: Spray-painted air-dry clay Cap: Acrylic ink on polymer clay
Pencil, 2005 Graphite, paper maché, wood putty, embossed aluminum, acrylics, eraser
My finished piece will be a roomful of life-size sculptures. Everything— doodads and a diary, a bass guitar and amp, a wardrobe and a window, a record player and lamp — will be entirely handmade.
Release ETURNAL Record Player, (Detail) 2024 Cardboard, Bristol, paper, acrylics, flashe, inks, PVA, polymer clays, pins, cotton, yarn, twine, glitter, cut coffee stirrer, Shrinky Dinks
The viewer is invited to piece together the details of Drew's life: He wanders the abandoned pencil factory and hangs out at the petrified crash-landed flying saucer off Route 918. He hunts songbirds for sustenance, and stuffs and mounts them just as he found them in death.
Stuffed Chickadee, 2010
Bird: Ink on frayed dental floss, pink styrofoam, pencil on wired vellum, and ink on paper over wired polymer clay and wax
Base: Acrylic ink, Shrinky Dinks, and glitter on air-dry clay
He smokes Oak Smokes cigarettes, drinks six-packs of Chevaline, and eats Rabbit Rinds chips. His favorite dish is chickadees with cheese. His "girly" magazines feature squirrels with acorn caps over all eight of their nipples.
Ashtray, 2022
Ashtray: Acrylic ink on polymer clay
Oak Smokes: Oak leaves, ink and burnishing on HMP, charcoal, paper shavings
Matches: Ink and pigmented ash on board
He is experiencing an awakening in himself. From the diary: Why do trees have to smell so good? My walks are getting longer cause I have to stop every few feet to sniff bark.
Niblette cover working sketch Pencil on paper
He is shy and naive, and kills time with his friends until a series of events— beginning with the diner grease fire— spark a lust for life, whereupon he leaves home for Erie and the Unknown.
PRO me-thee-us Lighter Fluid Can, 2017 Acrylic ink on cut, folded, and glued aluminum with polymer clay
His world is between ours and another. The passengers of the stranded UFO have long since paired with the locals. Everyone gets along in this waiting room, a bardo where Drew readies himself for his coming rebirth.
Unusual Rock Formation/Flying Saucer Postcard, 2005 Colored pencil and ink on cut and glued papers
The hand-drawn newspaper, notes and cards, and movie script by Drew's friend Brian show different views of life in Sparkleton. They, with the diary, accompany the 3D pieces, but are not essential reads, just as sifting through someone’s abandoned belongings is poignant enough without all the mysteries revealed.
Sparkleton is not based on any place except my brain. Little bits of everything around me are woven in, amalgamated or directly. Northwestern Pennsylvania is an inspiration but it's not about Northwestern Pennsylvania. That said, sincere thanks to everyone I met in NWPA.
hrahli (AT) gmail (DOT) com
@arielko13
arielko.bsky.social
Easthampton, MA
all images and original writing copyright 2003-2025 Ariel Kotker
Thank you for visiting this site!
I suffer from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. this affects the pace at which I work, and the degree to which I’m able to think about and create each piece. nevertheless, I need to do this work, so I try my best, with as much moxie as I can muster
