Kevin Carpenter

Artist, Brainstormer, Engineer, Explorer, Global soul, Idea generator, Inventor, Musician, Photographer, World traveler

34 years in the making. My life is simply one continuous evolving work of art. I am forever perfecting it based upon new experiences, adventures and stimuli. I choose to explore all facets of creativity and knowledge that appeal to me in devotion to the unceasing desire to create from my existence an extraordinary expression of life. For over 20 years, I have held a deep personal philosophy that reflects the basic tenets of Renaissance Humanism. That man is limitless in his capacities for development and should embrace all knowledge and endeavor to develop his capacities as fully as possible. Artistic development and achievement is simply one aspect of this ideal. Having spent the majority of my life focusing on my intellectual, social and spiritual development, I have finally arrived at that moment in my life where I can fully embrace my artistic development. That moment when art stops being something you make or do, and transforms into a way of life. The art is merely the byproduct of a life well lived, and a reality well observed. At my core, I am inquisitive and curious about everything. This thirst for knowledge and truth is the basis for how I approach all artistic endeavors and my life as a whole. I am constantly observing life, analyzing established belief systems, and challenging myself about the nature of reality. My creative energy comes from the ongoing quest to interpret my experiences, feelings, thoughts and ideas and share them with others. The search for effective creative outlets for his imagination has led Kevin to explore many forms of artistic expression throughout his life. Kevin expresses his creativity through painting, photography, music, conceptual design, sculpture, engineering design, robotics, toy design, multi-media projects, and writing. From an early age, Kevin showed a natural aptitude for tinkering. Compelled by his fertile imagination and passion for special effects he began acquiring the technical knowledge required to pursue a career in animatronics. Kevin obtained degrees in both Mechanical and Systems Engineering from SMU, and embarked on a decade long journey through Corporate America. His efforts to infuse creativity into those environments culminated with many awards for innovation, including a Patent for inventing a method of detecting Fatigue Cracks in Aircraft cables using Ultrasonic Waves. Navigating through the corporate world, yet refusing to assimilate into the culture, he gained the skills necessary for greater artistic expression. In 2006, Kevin removed himself from the rat race altogether. Striving to reclaim his health, happiness and spiritual well-being, he packed up his car and spent 8 months traveling across the US having adventures on the road, eventually living in a camper on the shores of a secluded lake in Montana. Fully immersed solitude, communing with nature, this period would become a full artistic awakening for Kevin, as he devoted his days to the creative process, and the resurrection of his childhood dreams to build animatronics. Kevin returned from his trek in the summer of 2007 to begin work with Hanson Robotics, designing & fabricating interactive humanoid and toy robots. This new environment encouraged him to fuse his passions for both engineering and art into one unique and powerful creative expression. As the lead artistic designer, Kevin currently heads a small team of like-minded artists in producing robots that have been exhibited in universities, research institutes, laboratories, museums and at conferences worldwide. Kevin is excited to be among the pioneers of this emerging artistic movement, exploring the marriage of art with interactive social robotics as a new artistic medium. Among his other artistic passions, Kevin is as an avid world traveler and photographer. His photographs capture scenes of beauty and horror from daily life around the globe. As a musician, Kevin’s music is direct feed straight from his soul. Like his other artworks, his music defies simple definition, but is a true reflection of his spirit at any given moment in time. He is currently recording his first solo CD. As a painter and sculptor, under the alias Gaedge Erikssen, Kevin draws inspiration from his unflinching examination of the mundane, ridiculous and chaotic aspects of society. Many of his artworks are satirical in nature and he often employs humor to underscore and challenge established belief structures. Kevin works with various traditional mediums as well as non-traditional multi-media materials to constantly expand his artistic horizons. Kevin's work has been exhibited throughout Texas, & he is currently signed with Gallery 163 in Dallas. Kevin resides in Dallas with his partner & is currently engaged in a wide array projects, including a multi-media exploration of human & social dynamics through interactive robotics, and ongoing collaborations with innovative artists from around the world.

I am passionate about my art, photography and music. I strive to fuse my passions for both engineering and art into one unique and powerful creative expression (ie. character robotics).

3D Modeling & Design, Mechanical Engineering, Project Management, robotics, Systems Engineering