Born in Detroit in 1923, Jerome Kirk served in WWII and received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1951. Initially influenced by artists Alexander Calder, David Smith, and Harry Bertoia, Kirk’s early work bore the influence of early kinetic art. He soon developed a style of his own, creating kinetic sculptures that move in graceful, gentle rhythms as if orchestrated by an unheard musical arrangement.
The physics of motion is celebrated by the flawlessly executed technical engineering and structural design of the aluminum and stainless steel beams, arcs and other geometric elements that make up Kirk’s large outdoor sculpture and smaller intimate indoor works. Just as one can expect waves to crash on shore and flames to flare and spit and crackle, Jerome Kirk’s sculpture remind us of motion’s existence in real time. With the help of gravity and a starting force, whether it be a slight breeze or the light touch of a human hand, the mass and weight of these parts balance playfully and leave the viewer truly mesmerized.
Jerome Kirk’s life story was highlighted in Ashley James' documentary Kirk, which first premiered at the Buck Foundation’s "Art and Science" conference in Novato, California in 2015. Over sixty of Kirk’s outdoor sculptures are in public and private collections worldwide. Works by Kirk are included in numerous museum collections, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Storm King Art Center, Mountainville, NY; Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Sheldon Art Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Phoenix Museum of Art; University of California, Santa Barbara Art Galleries; University of California, Berkeley Galleries; and Old Jail Foundation, Albany, TX.