~ * Imago Kaleidoscopes * ~ About & Contact

Massimo Strino in his studio

Artist Statement • Contact Massimo • Bio

Artist Statement

My goal is to bring kaleidoscopes out of the stereotyped hippie culture, and transform them into an art form. The beauty of form and color encountered inside a kaleidoscope is often hidden inside a simple container. My goal is to turn that container into an object d'art on its own merit, and reflect the beauty found inside out.

My kaleidoscopes will transport the observer into a different era, and create a sense of awe even before looking inside them. I use different kinds of media to create my work, including sterling silver and semi-precious stones, as well as cast brass lamp parts mixed with porcelain, blown glass and Swarovski crystal.

All the Swarovski crystal is hand applied, and the cast brass is aged using hand applied patina, and protected with natural wax. These heirloom objects are designed to withstand the test of time, and to be passed on from generation to generation.

massimo (at) imagokaleidoscopes (dot) com
To prevent spam, please type my address and replace (at) & (dot) with appropriate symbols.

Phone: (212) 740-4482
Fax: (212) 740-5050
4305 Broadway, #3
New York, NY 10033-3740

Bio

Massimo Strino, born in Naples, Italy in 1957, has created art for over 25 years, specializing in photography and kaleidoscopes. Since 1993, he has produced elegant, mechanically sophisticated kaleidoscopes coveted by collectors worldwide. Massimo's art combines his esthetic sensibility with precision technical expertise. This combination of art and technical skills can be traced to his family's illustrious history. His father, now retired, worked as a goldsmith and jeweler, and was one of the few remaining goldsmiths in Naples able to make gold filigree by hand. His father's family includes musicians and painters going back several generations. His mother's family had been handcrafting and calibrating scales and other precision instruments in Italy for centuries. These influences form the backdrop of Massimo's devotion to creating beautiful, refined art; objects produced with meticulous detail.

Massimo began designing kaleidoscopes as a form of hobby in 1993. Soon he found that he was seriously addicted to both making as well as looking through kaleidoscopes. He decided then to turn this hobby into a full time profession.

Serious kaleidoscope collectors consider Massimo's kaleidoscopes some of the most optically refined and sophisticated in the world; in the words of first lady of kaleidoscopes Cozy Baker "virtually perfect".

Today Massimo produces one of a kind and limited edition kaleidoscopes. Inspired by the Victorian era, he uses antiqued brass parts and Swarovski crystal, as well as sterling silver and semiprecious stones. These heirloom objects are designed to withstand the test of time, and to be passed on from generation to generation.

Although Massimo takes kaleidoscope production seriously, he hasn't forgotten that kaleidoscopes must be fun. A kaleidoscope should always surprise us, from when we first pick it up to when we look inside. It should overwhelm us with color and shapes. Massimo's kaleidoscopes can be found in prestigious collections worldwide (including Cozy Baker's permanent exhibit, and Japan's first "kaleidoscopes only" museum), as well as for sale in sophisticated art galleries and gift stores around the world.

Massimo is also a proud member of the Brewster Kaleidoscopes Society, a community of kaleidoscope artists and collectors, and a 2005 recipient of the "People's Choice Award" with his Carousel kaleidoscope.

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