Inside The Whimsical World of ‘Defense Mechanisms’

The Bay Area’s “Chairman of the Hoard,” sculptor Nemo Gould, has a solo show opening this weekend titled “Defense Mechanisms” in Oakland. The whimsy within each sculpture is rivaled only by the deep meaning behind many of his pieces, as well as the exhibition’s ability to highlight Nemo’s sculptural expertise. In my interview with Nemo, we delve into the story behind their art, explore the genesis of their show, and uncover the most difficult piece to create in their recent history.

The opening is officially on Saturday, November 4th, from 5-8 PM at 481 9th Street in Oakland and is available by appointment during other times throughout the show, which runs through the end of November.

Who is Nemo Gould, the “Chairman of the Hoard”?

It’s not everyday that I meet someone who also grew up with a parent who are ceramic artists. While I didn’t move into a world of mixed-media sculpture, it’s interesting to see how Nemo’s childhood helped influence their career and in turn influenced this solo show.

Nemo told me, “Both of my parents were ceramic artists, so I had creative support from an early age.  I loved stop-motion animation and old practical effects Sci-Fi movies, so I thought I wanted to be an animator.  By the time I was old enough to pursue it, the industry had drifted into digital techniques and I found I had no patience or aptitude for it.  Still wanting to make the “magic” of animation, I changed my focus to kinetic sculpture, breathing life into inanimate objects by other means.”

I’ve been taking junk apart for fun since I was a kid. I went to art school where I learned to work with traditional materials, but nothing ever really replaced my interest in combining pre-existing things.”

Defense Mechanisms by Nemo Gould opens November 4th

Creating Tension Between Menace and Innocence

Nemo’s sculptures each tell a story. For me, there are a wide variety of messages inside the work of Nemo. Some of their pieces simply make you smile and then there are some that help you to understand how we consume money, power or show you how guns come back to bite you no matter how they are built or how you plan to use them.

What are Nemo’s favorites in this show? “That would probably be a tie between “Hare Trigger” and “Insight”.  “Hare Trigger” because I’m always trying to create tension between menace and innocence, and I feel like that one nails it.  And “Insight” because it’s so mysterious, and unlike anything else I’ve done so far,” says Nemo.

Defense Mechanisms by Nemo Gould opens November 4th

Defense Mechanisms by Nemo Gould opens November 4th

Hunting for Treasures Through Life

Nemo has been in The Bay Area for about 25 years now. Over this period, they’ve amassed a diverse collection of treasures, which function as the arms, legs, supports, and components in all of their artwork. Their sculptures employ recognizable components such as gun parts, clocks, and musical instruments to craft artworks that captivate the viewer.

What captivated me most when exploring Nemo’s work is that the greater the number of items they’ve acquired, the deeper the potential significance behind each scrap and collected item becomes. Nemo’s process is an almost entirely intuitive journey towards the final piece where he could be working on something for years before it’s considered complete in his eyes. 

Defense Mechanisms by Nemo Gould opens November 4th

“A lot of time goes into hunting, collecting, and organizing as many interesting things as I can manage (I get a lot of really terrific donations from people too!).  The more things I accumulate, the more potential there is for meaningful connections among them.  I have layout tables where I brainstorm different compositions.  At a certain point it just becomes clear that the idea is solid, and I get to work.  I don’t draw or plan anything really, I just go at it one connection at a time, until a finished piece emerges,” Nemo tells me.

Which of Nemo’s collections has been the most difficult to build? He tells me that it was, “Definitely my “Megalodon” sculpture from 2016 (seen here in the Youtube video). I spent over 2 years fiddling with that one. It was a challenge because I wanted it to be a really imposing, monumental piece, but I also wanted it to feel delicate and intimate once you got up close to it.  This meant a lot of big structural challenges to make sure it was strong, and yet could disassemble easily for transport. It also meant making dozens of what were essentially tiny sculptures to populate the interior of the larger piece.”

Defense Mechanisms by Nemo Gould opens November 4th

How can you see Nemo’s work?

Although you can find a piece of Nemo’s in the DeYoung exhibit happening now. My suggestion is that you head over to his solo show this month to see the largest current selection of his work.

I ended my interview with Nemo asking how this show came to be – sort of an origin story which I believe could offer valuable insights to other artists aspiring to secure their own solo exhibition here in the Bay Area. His response to this question was incredibly candid and unfiltered.  He told me, “Galleries are often lukewarm about showing sculpture because of the simple reality that it is difficult to sell.  This leaves sculptors with few opportunities to do more than occasionally participate in group shows.  I feel pretty strongly about being able to share a whole body of work with the public at the same time.  Rather than wait to be invited, I have adopted a model where I rent storefronts for a short period every year or so and convert them into galleries to display my current work.  This decision has kind of disqualified me from the fine art world, but it has allowed me the freedom to produce much more work, on my own terms.

I plan to keep making and showing art until someone nails my coffin shut.”

Go and see the show: Defense Mechanisms!

‘It has been a long time since I’ve had a show, which means I have a lot of art to share!  You can visit my shop page to see which pieces I’ll be curating from to put the exhibit together,” says Nemo.

Title: Defense Mechanisms
Date: Nov. 4 through November
Where? 481 9th St, Oakland, CA 94607
Facebook Event

Where can you find Nemo Gould online?

Facebook: @nemomatic
IG: @nemomatic
Website: www.nemogould.com