Steampunk artist brings unique sculptures to Maker Faire

Mar. 30—Using gears, sprockets, wood, miniature globes, brass keys, polished scrap metal and lots of other objects he comes across, Vicksburg artist Keith Matthews makes steampunk sculptures reminiscent of a Jules Verne or H.G. Wells novel.

The steampunk genre combines the styles of the late 19th century Victorian age with imagery from the Industrial Revolution into a single work of art.

"Steampunk art is based on science fiction dealing with 19th century Victorian societies and their fascination with steam-powered technology before electricity," said Matthews, who will be bringing some of his fascinating steampunk art to the 8th annual Maker Faire Meridian this weekend at the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum located at the historic Soulé Steam Feed Works.

Matthews, an artist, illustrator and history buff, has created a wide variety of interactive, three-dimensional art pieces, including a mechanical catfish.

"I know that all of my contraptions are strange and kooky, but they have caught people's attention as they are very curious about them," he said.

He pieces together his sculptures with various components, such as walnut, cherry and poplar lumber, stained glass, brass door knockers, industrial pressure gauges, copper pieces, iron keys and any other objects he finds either at flea markets, garage sales, friends' homes or even in the roadside trash.

Greg Hatcher, producer of Maker Faire Meridian, said Matthews' imaginative works of art stimulate the mind and show that Mississippi artists are very creative.

"Keith's interactive, mechanical catfish is a one-of-a-kind creation that impresses me every time I see it. You'll see a tiny detail that you missed," he said.

Matthews, who was born deaf but was taught as a boy to speak and lipread, retired in 2008 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he worked as a visual information specialist for 32 years.

He is well known in west Mississippi not only for his steampunk sculptures but also as an artist, especially his illustrations and watercolors. He also enjoys HO scale model railroading, as well as designing and making furniture from lumber he cuts down and mills himself.

In 2016, Matthews joined a steampunk group on Facebook after photos of their steampunk sculptures, or contraptions as he calls them, piqued his interest.

"It got me motivated to try to make a first contraption called the Prognosticator Machine. It was made for our Vicksburg Art Association's first steampunk party," he said.

From then on, he was hooked on the art form. He began entering his sculptures in local art shows where they drew much interest.

"As my contraptions grew and filled my workshop, I needed somewhere to put them. My wife did not want them in the house as part of the decor," Matthews said.

As a result, many of his sculptures are on display in the lobby and conference room at Mad Genius Advertising, where his son works in Ridgeland. He will have a few available at the Maker Faire, and Mississippi College's Department of Arts will display some of his work in the lobby of the art building in August and September.

Matthews is excited to be returning to the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, which he first visited in 2016 and calls "the best 'one-of-a-kind' museum in the whole state of Mississippi and maybe the whole Southeast part of America."

"I felt that displaying some of my steampunk creations at Maker Faire Meridian inside of the Soulé Steam Feed Works is a perfect place to show the meaning of steampunk," he said.