Industrial Inspiration
Metal artist Gary Manos uses heavy duty tools to create works of Northwestern Art.
Metal artist Gary Manos uses heavy duty tools to create works of Northwestern Art.
AS PUBLISHED IN THE NEWS-TIMES SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
By Ross Coyle
Of the News-Times
Gary Manos’s pallet is steel. His knife is a plasma cutter. He details with an angle grinder and paints with a MAP torch.
“I’m not going to go into some deep religious thing,” the soft spoken 46-year-old says over the phone, “but I really feel like this is what I was put here to do, I absolutely love making these things.”
Manos produces metal art cuttings by slicing shapes through sheets with a plasma cutter which uses gas and an electrical arc to melt through the steel. Once the shape is produced, Manos rounds corners and adds detail with an angle grinder, from a scale pattern on salmon cuts to leafy strokes on pine trees. A propane torch heats the metal and brings out colors on the opposite side of the cut.
Around eight galleries around the country carry Manos’s work; including galleries in Florida, California, and Washington, as well as several Oregon stores including Oceanic Arts in Newport. His first gallery was in Sisters, Ore, the same place he was inspired to start metal cutting.
While having a meal in Sisters, Manos noticed similar steel cuttings. “I was sitting in this restaurant and saw the booth dividers and said ‘I can do this,’” he recalls. Several years later he had sold his boat and ATV in exchange for his tools, and now works out of a small shop in South Beach, Steel Knight Designs.
“This is probably the one thing in my life, other than my kids,” he remarks at his workshop, “I can say I am convinced beyond any reasonable shadow of doubt that this is what I was put here to do.”
He also says a good portion of his inspiration comes from those around him, such as his children or customers. “You dismiss it at the time,” he says, “but when you think about it later you think: oh that could work!”
When his work is lined up and he knows what he needs to do, Manos enjoys getting straight into it. “When there’s a lot of orders from online and I know what to make, I don’t even have to think about it,” he muses, but other time’s it’s not as simple.
He says the most difficult part of his work is getting inspired. “One of the hardest parts is probably being creative when you’re not in the mood.” Often, Manos simply spends time outside to find inspiration in nature, from the fish of the bay to Oregon’s mountains. “I take a walk down the beach and 45 minutes to an hour later I’m getting back in and turning stuff out.”
But Manos says he can’t complain about a creative slump, having come out of almost 20 years in the service industry with G.I. Joes and AT&T. He says that it can be difficult to force himself to come in when he doesn’t feel like it but acknowledges that “a lot of people don’t have that luxury.”
Manos gets the most enjoyment from his work when he finishes a custom project exactly to a customer’s vision. “When I see what they’re seeing in their head,” he explains, “When a large project or order comes together and the customer is beyond satisfied.”
When his work is lined up and he knows what he needs to do, Manos enjoys getting straight into it. “When there’s a lot of orders from online, and I know what to make, I don’t even have to think about it.” But other times, it’s not as simple.
He says the most difficult part of his work is getting inspired. “One of the hardest parts is probably being creative when you’re not in the mood.” Often, Manos simply spends time outside to find inspiration in nature, from the fish of the bay to Oregon’s mountains. “I take a walk down the beach, and 45 minutes to an hour later I’m getting back in and turning stuff out.”
But Manos says he can’t com- plain about a creative slump, having come out of almost 20 years in the service industry with G.I. Joes and AT&T. He says that it can be difficult to force himself to come in when he doesn’t feel like it, but he acknowledges that “a lot of people don’t have that luxury.” Manos gets the most enjoyment from his work when he finishes a custom project exactly to a customer’s vision, “when I see what they’re seeing in their head, when a large project or order comes together, and the customer is beyond satisfied.”
Ross Coyle is a report- er for the News-Times. He can be reached at 541-265- 8571 ext. 221 or rosscoyle@ newportnewstimes.com.
By Ross Coyle
Of the News-Times
Gary Manos’s pallet is steel. His knife is a plasma cutter. He details with an angle grinder and paints with a MAP torch.
“I’m not going to go into some deep religious thing,” the soft spoken 46-year-old says over the phone, “but I really feel like this is what I was put here to do, I absolutely love making these things.”
Manos produces metal art cuttings by slicing shapes through sheets with a plasma cutter which uses gas and an electrical arc to melt through the steel. Once the shape is produced, Manos rounds corners and adds detail with an angle grinder, from a scale pattern on salmon cuts to leafy strokes on pine trees. A propane torch heats the metal and brings out colors on the opposite side of the cut.
Around eight galleries around the country carry Manos’s work; including galleries in Florida, California, and Washington, as well as several Oregon stores including Oceanic Arts in Newport. His first gallery was in Sisters, Ore, the same place he was inspired to start metal cutting.
While having a meal in Sisters, Manos noticed similar steel cuttings. “I was sitting in this restaurant and saw the booth dividers and said ‘I can do this,’” he recalls. Several years later he had sold his boat and ATV in exchange for his tools, and now works out of a small shop in South Beach, Steel Knight Designs.
“This is probably the one thing in my life, other than my kids,” he remarks at his workshop, “I can say I am convinced beyond any reasonable shadow of doubt that this is what I was put here to do.”
He also says a good portion of his inspiration comes from those around him, such as his children or customers. “You dismiss it at the time,” he says, “but when you think about it later you think: oh that could work!”
When his work is lined up and he knows what he needs to do, Manos enjoys getting straight into it. “When there’s a lot of orders from online and I know what to make, I don’t even have to think about it,” he muses, but other time’s it’s not as simple.
He says the most difficult part of his work is getting inspired. “One of the hardest parts is probably being creative when you’re not in the mood.” Often, Manos simply spends time outside to find inspiration in nature, from the fish of the bay to Oregon’s mountains. “I take a walk down the beach and 45 minutes to an hour later I’m getting back in and turning stuff out.”
But Manos says he can’t complain about a creative slump, having come out of almost 20 years in the service industry with G.I. Joes and AT&T. He says that it can be difficult to force himself to come in when he doesn’t feel like it but acknowledges that “a lot of people don’t have that luxury.”
Manos gets the most enjoyment from his work when he finishes a custom project exactly to a customer’s vision. “When I see what they’re seeing in their head,” he explains, “When a large project or order comes together and the customer is beyond satisfied.”
When his work is lined up and he knows what he needs to do, Manos enjoys getting straight into it. “When there’s a lot of orders from online, and I know what to make, I don’t even have to think about it.” But other times, it’s not as simple.
He says the most difficult part of his work is getting inspired. “One of the hardest parts is probably being creative when you’re not in the mood.” Often, Manos simply spends time outside to find inspiration in nature, from the fish of the bay to Oregon’s mountains. “I take a walk down the beach, and 45 minutes to an hour later I’m getting back in and turning stuff out.”
But Manos says he can’t com- plain about a creative slump, having come out of almost 20 years in the service industry with G.I. Joes and AT&T. He says that it can be difficult to force himself to come in when he doesn’t feel like it, but he acknowledges that “a lot of people don’t have that luxury.” Manos gets the most enjoyment from his work when he finishes a custom project exactly to a customer’s vision, “when I see what they’re seeing in their head, when a large project or order comes together, and the customer is beyond satisfied.”
Ross Coyle is a report- er for the News-Times. He can be reached at 541-265- 8571 ext. 221 or rosscoyle@ newportnewstimes.com.
Gary Manos cuts through the outline of a parrot with a plasma cutter. He uses his industrial tools in much the same way a wood carver would use a knife or a painter would use a brush. (Photos by Ross Coyle)
Sharp edges are removed using an angle grinder as artist Gary Manos works on his latest project. He turns out hundreds of pieces, ranging from the simple to large, complex and multi-layered artwork.
Manos's finished product, with his personal signature for authenticity.
