“People have told me that they would be a big art-world phenomenon,” Mr. Pauline said, referring to his creations. On YouTube, you can watch video of Mr. Pauline being confronted by a fire marshal after a 1992 performance before a groundbreaking at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Despite the conflict, his safety record is largely intact, with one notable exception: A 1982 explosion in his shop badly wounded Mr. Pauline, taking most of the fingers from his right hand. The creations, mostly built with castoff and recycled materials scavenged from Bay Area factories and corporate labs, have traveled with Mr. Pauline around the world. “It’s time for those machines to help out.”PhotoDespite his yearslong connection to these works, Mr. Pauline showed no trace of sentimentality about selling them.

Source: New York Times January 05, 2018 17:43 UTC