Habitat Machines
Photoeye Gallery
2009

David Trautrimas, a 30-year old Canadian artist, takes apart old kitchen mixers, hole punchers,
waffle irons, staplers, vacuum cleaners, coffee machines and other household objects; photographs
the pieces; and them "re-assembles" them digitally, into what he calls "Habitat Machines." With
their industrial steampunk aesthetic and looming, animated postures, his machines would fit
nicely into the sets of Terry Gilliam's clanking dystopia "Brazil." Or perhaps post-crash Dubai.

Mr. Trautrimas became interested in the idea of creating fanciful dwellings unfettered by zoning
ordinances or the laws of physics, he said, after noting the blandness of most residential
development. "What Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid are doing on a commercial scale would be so cool
if it was happening residentially" he said.

He also enjoys spoofing the marketing come-ons of new condo developments, which typically -
or "at least here in Canada" he said - depict an idealized version of the new building set
into a rolling meadow. "You know it's in downtown Toronto" he said, "and not in any wilderness".

Two of Mr.Trautrimas's digital "Habitat Machines" are included in "Visual Morphology" a show
opening Thursday at the Klompching Gallery in Brooklyn. And in July, all 12 "Habitat Machines"
will be at the Photo-Eye Gallery in Santa Fe, N.M - Penelope Green, The New York Times,
March 5, 2009

Available Works:
Photoeye Gallery