Sculptor welds old pieces into eclectic art

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Concealed behind the guise of a green fence and a pale-yellow cabin, is the studio of Glen Head sculptor Thomas Malloy. Just steps away from the train station, Malloy’s salvage yard is a maze of industrial artifacts collected from a life’s worth of finds from junkyards of the past and present. Rather than letting the obsolete items rust to waste, he uses them to create impressive works of art.

“I’d been collecting for almost 50 years, and all these pieces came from industrial places that broke up — farms, boat yards that went out of business. It was just a treasure trove of old pieces,” Malloy said as he pointed out the parts, which hung from the ceiling like ornaments on a Christmas tree. “They just discarded them, and I took them all and made them into something new.”

In between puffs of a potent cigar, Malloy, 75, explained his artistic upbringing in the hippie hamlet. He started welding out of his garage at 17-years-old and was often influenced by fellow creators who lived in the neighborhood: a commercial artist, a professor from Friends Academy, and a cartoonist for The New York Times.

For many years he managed a commercial welding shop in Glen Head, providing one of a kind repairs and custom equipment. He would incorporate the scrap pieces from these projects into his sculptures and recalls sifting through industrial yards on Glen Cove Avenue for parts, referring to the junk piles as his “palette.”

“It was always something to stimulate the process,” Malloy said. “A worn-out part on a tractor becomes something else. There were a lot of interesting shapes and pieces that I wouldn’t throw out.”

Most of his sculptures reflect a deep appreciation for nature, which stemmed from a childhood spent outdoors. “He observes nature very closely, he even has a pond at home with frogs and fish,” said Dave Dimeola, Malloy’s business developer. “He’s observed animals his entire life, and that I think has driven a lot of his work.”

This methodology is evident in Malloy’s latest exhibit, which is currently on display at Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery through the end of September.

“We’ve gotten good feedback from our visitors who are intrigued by the interesting sculptures,” said Hatchery director Steven DeSimone. “It just blends in to our exhibit, and is a great marriage of nature and art.”

Seven of Malloy’s beautifully assembled pieces — think massive birds crafted from shovels and fish with giant riveted fins — are carefully placed throughout the property, becoming one with the hatchery’s wildlife.

“A lot of the show is Tom’s appreciation and connection to nature,” Dimeola added, “And he wants to share it with the current generation in a thoughtful way.”

For Malloy, creating a tangible piece of art with ties to nature gives younger viewers a better idea of how things used to be. He believes prior generations were closer to nature than today’s youth. “We were in touch with how things grew, what type of crop the farmers grew, what time of year they came in,” he explained. “You take that all in, you drink it in when you’re young, and you hold on to it. I think that we’re missing something by removing that from our itinerary.”

This ideal inspires much of what Malloy decides to create, as his artistic visions are born mostly from memory, without any Internet reference. Before he wields any welding tool to bring his visions to life, he starts with a drawing in a sketchbook.

“It either starts from a piece or a sketch or both,” Malloy said. “If I [used] a computer I might not be seeing the same thing.”

This approach ensures the sculptures stand for themselves. “Tom’s stuff is super positive and whimsical and has personality to it, but it’s not trying to offer you some sort of opinion,” Dimeola said. “There’s such a tribute to a different age as well because of the parts Tom assembles with.”

Malloy’s sculptures can be seen at the Fish Hatchery, 1660 NY-25A in Cold Spring Harbor, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Those interested in commissioning a piece of his art for home or garden should visit http://thomasmalloy.com/.