A while back, we featured an artist who creates awesome steampunk insects sculptures from metal beads and it is always refreshing  to feature such artists who use simple objects and creates masterpieces out of them. Sarah is one of those very creative artist who create marvelous robot sculptures out of found objects. She believes that a small percentage of objects around us are the bits of unassembled robot and can be reassembled into very charming robots.

The primary robot creator at CyberCraft Robots is Sarah Thee Campagna. Her creativity level, love and dedication towards her artwork is clearly visible in her creations.

"There are two ways to recognize a genuine CyberCraft Robot. First, each is identified with a metal nameplate exhibiting the CyberCraft Robot. Second, and most importantly, each CyberCraft Robot bears a Mysterious Symbol, passed down by Robotkind for millennia", shares the artist on her website.

We contacted Sarah for a small interview with us and she has been very kind to spare a few moments for us. Check out her awesome creations and interview below:

Sarah, please introduce yourself to E-junkies.

Hi! I’m Sarah Thee Campagna – my middle/maiden name is pronounced TAY – but I mostly work under the name CyberCraft Robots – a company at which I hold the title “Primary Robot Creator”.

With no real name attached, people tend to assume my work is created by a male personage. When I stand near my work at shows, people ask, “Do you know the artist?” It’s fun to watch their face when I say, “Yep, that’s me”. At a recent elegant opening, an evening gown clad women asked me three times, “Yes, but who does the actual WORK?”

I’m a self-taught artist and an improv actor. In my previous career, I was a computer systems analyst, and my degree is in that area. I’ve been working as a professional artist since 1998 (with a break that I’ll explain later)

Tell us about the fascinating concept behind CyberCraft Robots.

The concept behind us, hm…. This is from our About page…

“Here at CyberCraft Robots, our Orbiting Laboratory enjoys a semi-synchronous orbit, which allows us to examine your entire planet daily. We scrutinize every estate sale (poor buggers), trash heap, bar mitzvah, and bingo parlor for Secret Robot Parts.

All around you are objects that appear to be the ordinary detritus of daily life. Yet a small percentage of these objects are actually bits of dissembled Robot! Our mission at CyberCraft Robots is to covertly collect these seemingly mundane items, and reassemble them into the marvelous Robots they were intended to be.”

That’s the concept!

How did you think of such a creative concept? 

A few years ago my husband became seriously ill and nearly died. I had to take a break from art to help him. (He is quite well now, by the way) His illness and recovery were long and emotionally draining. When he was well again and I could go back to art, I tried to get my mind back to the “serious social commentary” sort of work that I was doing before.

It turned out that after having lived “seriously” for so long in my real life – I just did not find it interesting to go back there any more than necessary. So I tried going back even further in my art life to the whimsical things I had started with – but there was a reason I has stopped doing that work too – I had outgrown it.

I had a studio strewn with uninspired, half finish junk and was feeling pretty rotten when my sister Tommi (a life long artist and relentlessly creative person) came for a visit. http://www.etsy.com/shop/theenula This woman had been doing great work with no space and no time and no money and I had access to all three – yet I was doing nothing. She dragged me out and about and got my brain working. With her help I started asking myself anew - what do I love to do and see? what inspires me? what makes me say, “hey I want to look at that again…”

Some of the answers are:

Eventually I saw a Steampunk raygun created by (my now friend) Dan Jones in an art book. In my brain, raygun lead to Robot – and the perfect combination of all my loves became obvious.

Tell us about the inception of Orbiting laboratory.

I soon discovered that I am not the first person to think of creating a Robot sculpture from found objects. In fact, my friend Dan Jones makes some of the coolest ones around.http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinkerbots/.

But I noticed that, like every other creative endeavor, each artist brings their own view to the work, and unless someone is consciously trying to imitate, each of us adds something very different and valuable to the field.

And I noticed two other things.

As to point A: Back when I started in computer systems, women were only slightly more numerous than hen’s teeth. I had been “not taken seriously” (there’s that word again) too many times because of the ta-tas. I was not going to have that happen again. So I decided to create company name behind which to work, and to give it an industrial feel – so that it would be more… Robot-y.

And as for point B: I’m a storyteller. Once I started thinking about this new, semi-imaginary company I couldn’t stop. I came up with the "Mysterious Symbol, passed down by Robotkind", "secret robot parts”, and the idea that “we” would do our work in a mysterious hidden lair. I think my husband came up with the Orbiting Laboratory – which lead to the semi-synchronous orbit, from which we can scan the planet. In addition, each individual Robot has its own back story.

What are the source of materials you use to sculpt these robots?

No matter what medium I’m exploring, I always invite randomness to play a role in my creative process. In the case of the Robots, this shows up in my use of found objects, as well as the various weathering actions to which some parts are submitted.

Each Robot starts with a found object. I find some of these at yard and estate sales, some are given to me by friends, and some are castoff from various industrial venues.

Once the process begins, the Robot starts to tell me what (s)he wants to be, and which of the Secret Robot Parts are his/hers. I insist on using only parts that look and feel like they were actually meant to be together – even if one was originally from a china cabinet and the other from a tricycle.

I do use some new parts as well – which is why I call them “Industrial and Found Object Assemblage” Bodies and heads are usually found objects. Limbs and such are often a mix of old and new. I reuse whenever possible, but you would be amazed how hard it is to come up with two (or sometimes 3 or 4) each of arms, legs, hands, and feet, even with the huge amount of stuff I’ve collected.

People often ask me if I weld. I have taken a welding class, and I think I could be a decent art-grade welder with practice. However, it is very difficult to weld two different kinds of metal together, and my Robots are made of a zillion different kinds of metal. I have used solder a few times, but I very much prefer using fasteners. That means nuts and bolts and screws and rivets and other threaded things.

And the coolest tool in the Lab is my Drill Press. I love my Drill Press. I should name my Drill Press. Readers – offer suggestions if you like.

What has changed since you started?

When I started making the Robots, I didn’t plan to take any commissions. How can you create to someone else's desires when you are starting with an inspiring found object and letting the Robot tell you what to do? However, fairly soon I was asked to create the CyberCraft Robots version of an iguana, using a provided, iguana-shaped, steel form – for a fundraiser. They were raising money for an iguana sanctuary. How could I say no?

Even more difficult for me, I was recently was asked to be part of a music themed show. In that case I had to build the Robot around an idea instead of a found object. These opportunities have shown me that I can do commissions if I choose to take them – but I have to say that it is much easier and more fun to do it the Robot’s way!

Which robot you love the most in your lab? 

Right now my favorite is Ford ’51. One of my first amazing found object adventures was the estate sale of an old gentleman who had worked on Fords forever. I found a ton of great stuff there, including the distributor from a Model T. That became part of the head of a Robot called RattleTrap.

Also in this cache was a solenoid from a 1951 Ford, and the old gentleman had labeled it “Ford ‘51” with black magic marker. That solenoid became the body of a Robot, and the label became his name. However, Ford’s starting found object was not that auto part. Ford’s design began with a broken piece of conduit clamp that I found on a friend’s workbench. The piece of metal that forms Ford’s face is the piece that he was built around. http://cybercraftrobots.com/ford-51/.

Ford was the first Robot that I posed “in motion”. The friend whose workbench provided that beginning part is so fond of Ford that he has photoshopped him into various scenes – exploring dusty moons, coming in and out of spaceships, and even at a party with Hugh Hefner and several of his “friends”. I like the look of Ford, the story of his creation, and the vivacious personality which has lead to his active social life.

What are the other things that interests you?

1st – I love my husband very much, and I find him very interesting. He is the “Auxiliary Robot Creator.” I don't need his help often, but when I do it is priceless.

I listen to audio books almost constantly while working, driving, shopping etc. In the photo of me in the lab I’m wearing cordless headphones that provide both hearing protection AND constant audio book input.

As mentioned above that I am an improv actor. (remember “Whose Line is it Anyway?”) I’ve done some professional work in this area, but I also do amateur (read: unpaid) study and performances with a class that includes both professionals and a constant influx of new people.

In the last couple of years I’ve been writing a few short, comedy essays. I also go to Renaissance festivals – in costume - where I play a game called Rat Puck with some dear friends. http://www.thewildhunt.com/thegreen/ratpuck.shtml. In 2010 I won a tournament and became a Master Pucker!

I have two dogs and a bearded dragon who help a great deal around the Orbiting Laboratory, especially with guarding the tools when I run in for a beverage. I take the Dragon for a walk on the beach a couple of times a week, and I’m addicted to Tai Chi.

Share one best compliment you've ever received for your work.

Oooo, this is fun! I always enjoy words like “brilliant” and “unique” – especially when these come from another artist whose work I respect. But because it is so important to my concept of how the Robots should be built, the best I’ve ever received was, “Your robot parts always look as though they were meant to be together.” This was from someone who had no idea what a focus this is for me – so it was great. I’m doing what I intended in that regard.

What message do you have for our readers?

The other night at an opening (hers) I met another self-taught artist who had been told her whole life that she cannot draw – so she didn’t paint until she was 50. I was told that as a child as well, and because I am a crazed perfectionist I turned away from creative pursuits and became involved in things that can be done perfectly – like mathematics and eventually computers. I am glad I have those skills and was trained to think analytically – but I didn’t let myself have so much as a colored pencil again until I was in my 30’s.

There are so many many ways to be creative, and not just in the visual arts. Everyone can and really should have one or more creative outlets EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT IT! Who gives a dang? Find your things and do them. Encourage children do them, well or badly. Almost no one gets to “well” without going though “badly” anyway. If you really want to be good at some creative thing, don’t just try drawing with a nasty, dry old pencil and decide that your poor output means you can’t paint, or sculpt, or dance or tell a story.

You don’t have to create a masterpiece of art. Do your best to have a masterpiece life - even if you are the only one who appreciates it – and a masterpiece life must surely involve letting your soul stretch its creative limbs.

Sarah, thanks for a detailed and fun interview. You're doing a great job. It was a pleasure to have you on E-junkie. We wish you all the very best!

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