The afternoon of Day 83 -- Monday July 12 -- will go down as one of the most memorable of this amazing trek known as The Oddasee. It was on this day that your wander-lusting explorers saw what can thus far be called "The Best of the Best". We have seen many amazing sights and met some living treasures; on this mind-blowing day we saw not only favorite-so-far site but we also got to meet and hang out with one of the most unique humans (maybe) that either of us have ever encountered along our life paths. There is no language to express the sights, sounds, smells and tactile experience of our visit to the world of Tom Every.
The piece de resistance is the central and overwhelming "Forevertron". This enormous masterwork looms above the landscape like some sort of megalithic contraption from another time and place. It is at once anachronistic and magical.
Dr. Evermor's Forevertron is the largest scrap metal sculpture in the world, standing 50 ft. high and 120 ft. wide, and weighing 300 tons. It is housed in Dr. Evermore's Art Park on Highway 12, in the town of Sumpter, in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States.
Built in the 1980's, it is steampunk art from before the term was coined. The sculpture incorporates two Thomas Edison dynamos from the 1880's, lightning rods, high-voltage components from 1920's power plants, scrap from the nearby Badger Army Ammunition Plants, and the decontamination chamber from the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Its fictional creator, Dr. Evermor, was born Tom Every in Brooklyn, Wisconsin and is a former demolition expert who spent decades collecting antique machinery for the sculpture and the surrounding fiction that justifies it. According to Every, Dr. Evermor is a Victorian inventor who designed the Forevertron to launch himself "into the heaven on a magnetic lightning force beam." The Forevertron, despite its size and weight, was designed to be relocatable to a different site--the sculpture is built in sections that are connected by bolts and pins.- Wikipedia
The sculptures out on the highway give little hint to what a magical and mysterious that lies at the end of a short road and opens into a multi-field art park. It's like getting to see what might happen if Jules Verne, Tim Burton, H.R. Giger and Juile Taymor were to collaborate. The one "piece" is so complex and yet cohesive, it takes awhile to even glance out into the surrounding fields and see the thousands of other creations that dwell there among the grasses and flowers. This very real and yet fantastical universe is on a par with anything Walt Disney or Steven Spielberg have created. We knew at once we were in the presence of greatness. All this before we even met the man responsible for the such wonders.
After a bit of mouth agape wandering, there under a makeshift canopy sat the God of Welding and Reycling; Dr. Evermor (aka Tom Every). Though talking to some other curiosity seekers, Mr. Every said "Bye for now..... that guy looks interesting. Hey you. Come here. Get on over here." Strapped into some sort of chair sat the man, the artist and the visionary. After a quick introduction and completely sincere gushing of respect and the groveling along with almost a kissing of his feet or ruby encrusted ring (actually a necklace of a resin incased scorpion and another of a black widow), Rodney pulled up a metal (of course) stool as Susan ducked under the tarp and joined us. We were immediately rapt.
Now don't get me wrong, Mr. Every is in possession of many skills, speaking and conversation are not among them. Our "talk" was wildly tangental and at times kind of incoherent. We heard about his family, the collection of the sea of steel objects around us and crazy train wrecks of thought. In the mix were snippets of his ideological motivations and beliefs that are exhibited in his work. There was a hint of mysticism mixed in with some serious tongue-in-cheek missive. He is very serious and whimsical at the same time. He seemed genuinely pleased that R. is an artist and altered his angle of discussion as a result of his perception that there may well be some kindred spirit commonalities.
Our conversation was interrupted briefly on occasion by Lady Eleanor his wife (or ex-wife - there's some debate on that one). We sat and listened to the many tales and anecdotes. It was not always a pleasant experience but it was obviously a privilege. A few other folks ambled by and he ignored them completely. He seemed to be enjoying our interaction and paid little heed to the Lady as she tried to prepare him for the return to his home at a nearby senior center.
Sadly this genius has had a serious stroke that has rendered the left side of his body all but completely immobile. There's a special brace designed by some college engineering team but that is barely functional. The only way he gets any welding done is with the assistance of one or two family members who are seldom available. Mr. Every's mind is still a fertile playground and art cornucopia. He has grand ideas and visions. Unlike many, he is has proven that such ideas are not only possible but very very doable. His creativity knows few peers, the engineering astonishing and the art beyond friggin' belief.
Susan continued on a bit as Rodney ran around like some sort of Energizer Bunny with a camera to get as many shots as possible before the gates were closed. Susan is great at stalling and distracting when needed to buy your Oddasee photog some extra time. The Nikon was glowing like an ember by the time the inevitable time to say goodbye arrived.
R. says: "There have been few times in my life when I have met someone truly out of this world; real and fictional. Like peeking into another dimension; spending time with this man and see his art was a very special gift. I am moved, awed and inspired. Thank you Dr. Evermor for sharing your magical mind, heart and art. I will never be the same."
S. says: I remain mostly wordlessly smiling at the plethora of imagination, energy spent, and continuing gladness to be on such an amazing journey. Dr. E. let me have a small bit of his work, a "two-headed sperm angel" (his designation), to take back to New Mexico with me (he envisions a horde of them inside a soon-to-be creation of his so very fertile imagination. The devotion of Lady Eleanor to bring him to his beloved work several days a week was also another part of the visit. I wish I could have had longer and more coherent conversations with them both -- lost stories there!
Love and rusted dynamos,
Rodney and Susan
PS: The photos below are all of "The Forevertron". A subsequent message will cover a tiny taste of the art park and garden. It really is hard to fathom this came from the mind of one devoted and gifted artist.
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