LEGENDARY HAIGHT ASHBURY SAN FRANCISCO
HIPPIE SQUIRKENWORKS
HIPPIE SQUIRKENWORKS
|
Gary Knox Bennett attended the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland from 1959 - 1961, studying painting and metal sculpture. Bennett's first studio was in Alameda, a former lavatory in a shipyard. He later founded Squirkenworks, a metal plating business that specialized in making roach clips and hippie jewelry back in the 70's. Squirkenworks peace signs, roach clips and commonplace hippie jewelry items are now legendary Haight Ashbury stuff. Bennett went on to become a highly regarded artist and furniture maker who looks back fondly on Squirkenworks as the business that paid the bills for his young family way back when.
An original Squirkenworks peace sign and roach clip are hidden behind hand painted back door of Bennett's "On Deer Isle" clock. As quoted from Lost Art Press which excerpted from “The Difference Makers,” by Marc Adams (2019): "Garry viewed himself as a commercial sculptor and artist who sold to both a wide counterculture market and an upscale clientele. His choice of material was brass brazing-rod, which he had used in his sculpture. It was cheap and readily available. The work was a huge success and evolved into a major line of precious-metal jewelry, which was sold in stores across the U.S. Henri Bendel in New York City was a customer. The result was a stable income for many years, allowing Garry to retreat and focus on his personal work.When Richard Nixon outlawed drug paraphernalia in 1974, Squirkenworks ceased manufacturing, and the “Summer of Love” segued into the “Death of the Hippy.” An era was over. Garry, however, chose to expand the plating shop that he had set up for his production work and offer precious-metal plating to other manufacturers. The shop is still operating as Gold Seal Plating today." Here's a great article and tribute to Garry Knox Bennett: https://www.imaginegrove.com/good-bye-garry/ |
Clock “On Deer Isle” (#372), wood, brass, glass, paint, sea anemone spines, 23 kt gold-plating, lamp parts, 21 ¾ h x 16 ½ w x 8 ¼ d. Hand written message inside the hand painted back door along with an early Squirkenworks peace sign.
|
