I recently went to a local community college here in Colorado to see Ira Sherman talk about his eclectic art. Known more for his goldsmithing abilities (one of his gold corsage bracelets is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian), his passion lies in engineering metal mechanical sculptures that are interactive with the viewer and wearer. Take for instance the “Pavlovian Trainer”. This beautifully constructed contraption teaches the person wearing it to keep their mouth shut! How does it do this you ask? There is a sensor tab underneath the chin, if it is depressed, a burst of pneumatic air tightens a metal muzzle over the mouth. In case that isn’t effective enough there are more deterrents to talking, bells are ringing close to the ears and pressure levers are pneumatically squeezed between the eyes. Davinci has been his inspiration since he was young. Enthralled by the mechanical devices created by him, Ira continues to create mechanical solutions for the unsolvable problems of life. To see more of his work visit his site.