This Artist Takes Old Farm Equipment and Turns It Into Magnificent Animal Sculptures

Artist John Lopez‘s sculptures aren’t your every day, average works of art. He takes scrap metal from old farming equipment and turns it into his vision – magnificent, life-size sculptures of animals—among them buffalo, horses, cows, rams, antelope, bears, and even dinosaurs. You can still see entire machine parts and lettering engraved in the metal if you take an up-close look.


Eco-friendly and full of personality, these welded figures perfectly capture the iconography of the American West — a bison, a horse with a plow, a Texas Longhorn — a past reconfigured out of recycled materials.


Lopez began his career as a bronze sculptor, but realized the versatility of scrap metal when he forged a family grave for his deceased aunt. It creates a unique aesthetic, a kind of mishmash punk sensibility in his beautiful and imposing artwork.


It pays respect to the past while also playing with the idea of renewing and reconfiguring familiar imagery into something completely different. Where have you seen a cowboy riding a dinosaur before?

“My favorite part about these pieces is the texture,” explains Lopez. “I just start grabbin’ stuff from the pile and welding it, in and if you weld enough of the same thing on over and over it creates this really cool texture that I’ve never seen in these kinds of pieces before. And I think that’s what draws people in.”



Blurring the line between organic, artificial, and symbol, Lopez’s art is sure to leave an impact! It’s striking how well they blend into the Midwestern scenery.


What did you think of these fantastic sculptures? Let us know in the comments below!

If you know someone who might like this, please click “Share!”