Jay Vogler (a.k.a JBVCreative) started as a mechanical engineer with a degree from the University of Guelph. After working in various engineering jobs, and a short stint as a co-owner of a clothing company (don’t ask), he found that he had ideas for different mechanical sculptures piling up in his head. As the ideas accumulated, they began to create inner turmoil that led to anxiety due to this unrealized need to create. He felt he had no choice but to quit his life as a corporate engineer to pursue a career combining art with engineering.
Without a specific direction, he charged into the unknown with the intention of creating whatever his muse was urging him to create. Under the pseudonym, JBVCreative, Jay has created many different engineered ‘kinetic sculptures’, ranging from a ‘running brain’ (for Baycrest’s The Brain Project) to a machine that whimsically provides encouragement, to a robot that uses an old 1950’s typewriter to create art from the ’80s and ’90s. Jay documents the design and engineering process through his YouTube channel.
Jay is still unsure what the future holds for his art, but he does hope to use his talents to shed light on the beauty and chaos that exists just outside of our normal abilities of perception.
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Which ‘hood are you in?
St. Clair and Spadina
What do you do?
I create engineered Kinetic Sculptures and Artistic Robots
What are you currently working on?
After finishing my brain sculpture for The Brain Project (a kinetic sculpture called the ‘Racing Brain’ which supports efforts to raise awareness of brain health) – my next endeavour (and one I’m really excited about) is a YouTube series documenting the creative and engineering processes that go into building robots that make their own art.
Where can we find your work?
On YouTube and Instagram under the username JBVCreative. I also have a website where you can purchase some of my pieces as well as files you can download and print if you have a 3D Printer.
