This is the story of Drew Fank, a boy of 19 from the imaginary town of Sparkleton, Pennsylvania.
These are not found objects. Everything is entirely handmade. My finished piece will be a roomful of life-size sculptures.
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
You are 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.
He smokes Oak Smokes cigarettes and drinks six-packs of Chevaline. 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
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, cards, and movie script by Drew's friend Brian offer different views of life in Sparkleton and the nearby real world town of Beam. 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.
Drew’s locale was inspired by how I felt driving through Erie and seeing the lake. After research trips to Northwestern PA, I realized Sparkleton is mostly set inside my head... that said, sincere thanks to everyone I met in NWPA.
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
hrahli (AT) gmail (DOT) com
@arielko13
Easthampton, MA
all images and original writing copyright 2003-2026 Ariel Kotker
Thank you for visiting this site!