Damon Hamm
New York, NY
Damon Hamm is a multidisciplinary sculptor whose work focuses on scientific principals, transformations, and relationships.
MessageDamon Hamm is a multidisciplinary sculptor whose work focuses on scientific principals, transformations, and relationships.
Working primarily in metal and wood, his work accentuates the natural texture, light, shadow, and reflection of the materials, resulting in forms that evoke a visceral sense of captured motion or temporal progression as if every stage of the object’s evolution is visible at once. Hamm investigates the tension between objects, people, and their surroundings to create conversations about interrelationship, the passing of time, and the ultimate triumph of entropy over our human existence.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Damon has been a videographer for RollingStone, documentarian, robotics researcher for NASA projects, and user experience designer for Fortune 100 companies. He now works as an educator and serves on the Board of Directors for the Sculptors Guild of New York.
Damon received a BFA from Oberlin College and MS from Carnegie Mellon University. Damon’s sculptures have been installed in public parks in New York City, Chicago Illinois, Dubuque Iowa, and Key West Florida, broadcast on PBS and NY1, and featured in New York Magazine, New York Daily News, Gothamist, Time Out New York, Telegraph Herald, and The Key West Citizen. Smaller works appear in two feature length movies and private collections across Arizona, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
Additional accolades include research grants from Carnegie Mellon University, fellowship with the Art Students League of New York, and a U.S. Patent for a mobile computer vision system.
Statement
My work is a continuous exploration of the natural world, where I strive to transform abstract concepts like time and motion into tangible, relatable physical forms.
I begin my artistic journey with simple ideas, such as 'visualize a sound.' From there, I embark on a creative experiment, exploring various methods of expression. This journey leads me to transform these ideas into sculptures, whether through the intricate welding of freeform three-dimensional 'paintings' or the digital capture, manipulation, and transformation of visual elements into physical objects.
In my public works, I aim to create art that resonates with the ancient, universal truths we all share. Each sculpture draws inspiration from our environment, be it the dynamic movement of people, the mesmerizing patterns of stars in the night sky, or the ever-changing interplay of shadows cast by the sun throughout a single day or an entire year.
Metals are my preferred medium, for they possess the unique ability to bend, scatter, refract, and reflect light while being malleable enough to be physically formed, shaped, and textured. Metals interact with the environment both in a physical and perceptual sense. They bear witness to the inexorable passage of time on a scale distinct from our own bodies, revealing our transience on this planet and the ultimate triumph of entropy.
Through my sculptures, I aim to invite viewers to ponder our profound connection with the natural world. By translating abstract concepts into tangible art, I hope to spark a sense of wonder and contemplation in those who engage with my work.
©️ 2025 Damon Hamm, Semiconducted LLC