The art of JR Pelletier transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. Using discarded and recycled materials, Pelletier reimagines everyday objects into fantastical creations that blur the boundaries between human, animal, and machine. His works are not just assemblages of found parts but intricate mechanomorphic expressions, where machines embody human qualities and human forms take on mechanical attributes. At the core of Pelletier’s process lies an exploration of histories—both real and imagined. Each object carries a past, whether utilitarian, sentimental, or cultural, and these genealogies merge into layered narratives within the finished pieces. The result is art that is at once whimsical, deeply personal, and reflective of iconic Americana, inviting viewers into dreamlike worlds where familiarity becomes unfamiliar and the commonplace turns into fantasy. Pelletier sources his materials from garage sales, thrift shops, flea markets and antique stores. Left in their original, weathered condition, these objects retain a sense of age and authenticity even as they are reborn into new forms. His cellar studio houses tens of thousands of such finds, from metals, wood, glass, and stone to leather, cloth, and clay. Working with a modest set of hand tools, a drill press, and a band saw, Pelletier assembles his creations with hidden fasteners, ensuring that the final works conceal their mechanical underpinnings. Some of his most beloved finds; roller skates, block planes, serving bowls, and more are woven into recurring motifs: cars, ships, planes, owls, insects, and fantastical creatures. Each piece embodies centuries of collective history, pride of ownership, and shared human experience, reshaped into new stories by Pelletier’s imaginative hand. Born in Lewiston, Maine, and a resident of Sabattus for the past 36 years, Pelletier pursued careers as a welder and fabricator and later as a youth counselor. He began his artistic journey later in life, at age 55 in 2012 Since then, he has produced roughly 80 works, only two of which have been sold finding their way into the prestigious collections of James Stillman Rockefeller Jr. (founder of the Owls Head Transportation Museum) and Jay Leno (TV host and comedian). Now, with age and perspective, he is prepared to share his remarkable creations with the wider world.