In keeping with the spirit of Alexander Calder and his artform, Joel considers his kinetic artmobiles as "sculpture in air". They include the popular bottom viewing "Lumen" art mobile suitable for all ages from small children to office art. You can view them under the "Classic Lumens" Menu heading and the larger Tri-Lumen mobiles are located under the "Tri-Lumen" category.

There are a variety of metal mobiles incorporating natural metals including aluminum, copper, brass and steel and a colorful selection of painted metal art mobiles. Also please look through our selection of playful "Whimsical Mobiles".

While the majority of Joel's kinetic art mobiles are enjoyed as indoor mobiles, he also offers several mobiles both free hanging and on stands designed for hanging outdoors from eaves or utilized as garden art mobiles or placed on patios.

Introduction: Hotchkiss Mobiles was founded by Joel Hotchkiss in Oakland, CA in 1981. He met his wife, Sandra who joined in running the business in Oakland in 1983.

During this 30 year period Joel has designed a wide range of mobile designs sold in Galleries and Museum Stores nationwide including San Francisco MOMA and the Guggenheim Museum. The Mobile Studio, now located in West Stockbridge, MA also creates larger Mobiles for Residential and Commercial spaces.

Describe your work: Creating functional, contemporary mobile designs for over 30 years has been a passionate and challenging journey. I still love this soothing sculptural art form that produces "poetry in air". Each year I introduce new ideas to my work... mobiles in which I push my creative impulses to pursue innovative approaches resulting in new styles, balancing techniques, composition and uses of materials.

How did you manage to survive in business creating your own art ? My father was an artist and very creative and my mother ran the businesses our family operated when I was young. In college I studied design and film at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY graduating in 1972. While working and living in Boston as an Art Director, I began making and filling my apartment with mobiles. I relocated to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1978 to “make-real” a newfound dream of becoming a Mobile Artist.

The early years of the 1980's in the Bay Area were very "heady" and exciting. I drove daily from Oakland to a Studio called Kinetic Objects in San Rafael where I studied and learned the art of Mobile Making. It’s there I taught myself to weld and work with various metals, plastics and fabric applications. I would often return down across the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco and deliver mobiles to the Museum of Modern Art Store and a Gallery called Don Conard Mobiles in Ghirardelli Square before returning home to Oakland.

CUSTOMER SERVICE...

SHIPPING: Orders are normally shipped within 1-4 days via UPS GROUND. Please allow up to 7 days in transit within the continental US. We will notify you of any delays.

UPS Shipping charges for most items, within the continental US:

UPS-GROUND SHIPPING: $25

Upon special request, expedited shipping is available at an additional expense.

UPS-NEXT DAY AIR: $995.00

UPS-SECOND DAY AIR: $75.00

UPS-THIRD DAY AIR: $55.00

Shipping Outside of the United States will travel via the U.S. Post office. Allow 2-3 weeks in transit. Estimated shipping cost for international orders is $75.00.

For additional information about shipping options and costs please feel free to phone us directly at 413-232-0200 or Fax us at 413-232-0210.

EXCHANGES:

STORE CREDIT Exchange only with receipt, within 15 days of purchase. No Cash or Credit Card refunds. We will issue a Store Credit or exchange a mobile for another if the color or size is incorrect as long as the original mobile is packed carefully and shipped back to us undamaged within 10 DAYS of purchase date.

WARRANTY-REPAIRS:

We will repair free of charge any defective mobile that has a flaw due to our fabrication within 6 MONTHS of the purchase date.

ASSEMBLY & INSTALLATION:

Many of our mobiles require no assembly and are ready to hang. Any mobile that requires assembly includes easy to follow Assembly Instructions. The description of each mobile specifies whether or not assembly is required.

We do not provide hooks or hardware for securing to your ceiling. Each mobile has adequate line for attaching to your hardware. We can provide extra line if necessary - please call.

APPROPRIATE USE AND CARE:

The majority of the mobiles are designed for INTERIORS only. We offer a category - "Outdoor Mobiles" - specifically for outdoor applications. The mobiles are not intended for use within the reach of small children. The fabric mobiles can be cleaned with a feather-duster or a light cloth with Windex.

OTHER NOTES:

All of our mobiles are designed and created EXCLUSIVELY here in our studio/workshop in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Each mobile is made from raw materials i.e.: aluminum, copper, steel etc. All the designs on the Web-Page are a part of our line of mobile designs, so you may have seen some in Museum Stores or contemporary Galleries around the US.

All mobile designs are: Copyright © 2001-2012 Joel Hotchkiss U.S.A.

All of the designs are signed and dated by Joel Hotchkiss with the exception of some of the smaller, whimsical designs.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?

If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to call or email us:

Hotchkiss Mobiles 8 Center Street, West Stockbridge MA 01266 Phone: 413-232-0200 Fax: 413-232-0210 Email: sandra@artmobiles.com OR joel@artmobiles.com