There’s a bit of the robot in Baron Margo, a bit of the puppet master, a bit of the Alchemist, a bit of the Welder, a bit of the DaVinci…. You could list dozens of different talents and all would be pieces of the Baron Margo puzzle.
Stand-by for Launch!
Now for the answers, or at least some of them….
There’s no doubt that he is a prolific Los Angeles artist whose unique metalworks include robots, spacecrafts, strange and fantastic metal creatures as well as “conceptual” cars, boats, planes and trains. His work has been often used as Hollywood movie props and made appearances in TV commercials.
He’s created legions of strange creatures…mechanical robot dinosaurs that eat smaller creatures, life-sized and very attractive female robots, even rocket motors styled into ceiling lamps as well as beautifully realistic large scale sculptures including gorillas, the real variety rather than King Kong.
He’s been infusing machines with his distinctive vision of the retro-future as far back as 1965. He’s a man of few words…very few words. When asked what inspires him to create his unique brand of fantasy-meets-reality he will tell you, “Everything”! though he will concede his second favorite artist (second only to himself!) is Dali. Not one to mince words he is always quick with an answer that usually throws everyone off guard. When asked about his upbringing he will tell you it was “Normal”, though there is nothing normal about the man or his amazing creations. His collection of totally bizarre “Art Cars” built in collaboration with leading edge fabricators was inspired by his belief that the “bland” automobiles of today should be more futuristic and imaginative. When asked “What is that?” by curious on-lookers who’ve spotted one of his cars, bikes or trikes, he replies ,”Just your everyday, average rocket ship!”
In this case, make that a rocket bike. He has his own name for the “wunderbike,” and simply calls it ‘The Wedge” based on its “slice of cheese”shape. He completed its fabrication and took his first ride in 2008 and it’s been running strong ever since. There’s definitely a SciFi theme involved, although it might be better described as an of updated echo of 19th Century fantasy fiction with strong echoes of Jules Verne of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and of H.G.Wells author of “The Time Machine” and “Things to Come.”
All manner of hardware, both custom made and those found in surplus aircraft parts and tool stores went into its creation, then fully enclosed in a tear-dropped shaped canopy of polished aluminum. Underneath lies a Kawasaki four-cylinder power train housed within a custom frame while the instrumentation and handlebar controls are also Kawi components. He does take a tangent or two, for instance one of the foot pegs is an adjustable wrench welded in place. The totally street worthy, and street legal, machine often attracts the attention of both the police and spectators whenever the Baron makes one of his runs through Los Angeles. And always the question…”What is it?”?
At times you would find the Baron and examples of his artwork on display at a very special gallery/museum/movie prop rental store called Jadis located on the Main Street of Venice, California, the area home to many restaurants, art galleries, hip clothing stores and night clubs and close to the famous Muscle Beach where a young Arnold Schwarzenegger did his body building.
First opened in 1976, the store was owned by the Baron’s late friend and self-taught engineer/designer/builder Parker Meek, the Jadis “gallery of eccentricities” is a fascinating, sometimes baffles mix of “odds and ends” from the past, present and future as envisioned by Parker, the Baron and other like-minded artists. Jadis is an idiomatic French phrase that loosely means “sit, here’s a story” or according to other interpretations “old time modern.” Jadis is a primarily a prop rental store, every inch crowded with curiosities collected over the decades and featured in many Hollywood movies and TV programs. The Baron’s motorcycle as well as his cars and other creations incorporate the same eclectic smorgasbord of such “arty-facts.”
When first discovering Jadis, you find yourself staring at one of the Baron’s lady robots in the front window. Along with the Baron’s robot people and animals, Jadis is stuffed full of a wide spectrum of SciFi flavored gizmos including vintage microscopes, a 500,000 volt Tesla coil, model submarines and blimps, ray guns, old telephones, butterfly collections, antique clothing, vintage posters, art and old furniture of every imaginable sort. The shop, like the Baron’s Wunderbike is a blend of Wizard of Oz meets Willy Wonka meets Tron all in one, where you walk around with your eyes, and mouth, wide-open in wonderment of what has been called “the improbable possible.”
Gaining entrance into the shop, like catching up with Baron Margo and his motorcycle, is often a matter of luck. When the doors are open to the public, Friday-Sunday, it only costs one dollar for the tour. While Parker Meek passed away in January 2010 at 86, his spirit of curiosity and inventiveness lingers in Jadis…and by his longtime friend Baron Margo who carries on the tradition of creating whimsical mechanical art that always brings a smile.
More Pix of the Gallery and its Contents…
