Mike Rivamonte's Robot Friends

There's a whole universe of robotic sculptures fashioned from salvaged materials: motorcycle parts, kitchen appliances, saws, screws, springs, and chains. You name it, there's a robot made from it. But between the cold, mechanical, industrial elements often employed, and the impersonal, robotic nature of, well, robots, such sculptures rarely register as anything beyond merely 'cool.' That being said, the work of Mike Rivamonte positively glows with uncommon warmth and personality. His robots seem to exist in such a vibrant world of fully-realized characters, it's hard not to envision what it might be like to have one as your own personal robot sidekick.