In Motion

Jeff Kiefer

Clayton, NC

Jeff Kiefer is our first Clayton artist to display in the 3rd Annual Downtown Sculpture Trail and we couldn't be more excited! This hometown sculptor built his own "adult-size" erector set with "InMotion".

Located on the O'Neil Street pedestal at Town Square on Main Street, Kiefer says he created this strong geometric sculpture to study how to capture the illusion of motion. Fabricated from carbon steel and treated lumber, this modular piece stands 8 feet tall and weighs 450 pounds! This striking angular work is no child's play!

Growing up in rural Indiana, Kiefer was exposed to abandoned farm homes and rundown steel structures. He was always fascinated by the way nature seemed to devour and erase these man-made structures. Without these abandoned shells creating a latticework for the flora, the plants wouldn't have the necessary support to grow.

His work involves exposing the inner structure of organic shapes with strong geometric patterns. In Kiefer's figurative work he explores a moment in time, trying to capture that emotion that lasts only a second.

Kiefer graduated with a Master in Fine Arts in Sculpture from East Carolina University. In addition to continuing to create sculpture in his studio, Kiefer is an Art Instructor at Cary Arts Center in Cary, an Adjunct Instructor at Barton College in Wilson, and an Adjunct Instructor at Pitt Community College in Greenville. For more information and to check out Jeff's contemporary sculpture work, visit Big Red Cube.