Grate American Art

Profile of Florida Artist
Bobbi Mastrangelo (Pictured below holding her "Freedom Grate" at the Sandy Moraine on Johnson Ave. Poinciana FL)

“Believe it or not, Bobbi’s “Grate Works” strike a chord. It’s fun loving art that brings a smile to your face and a sense of awe to your mind as you wonder how anyone could think of doing something so absurd, so downright hilarious as manhole art.”

~ Danielle Hayduck “Looking at the Grater Picture”

Bobbi started out as an elementary school teacher. Even when she fit college art classes into her schedule, she rendered “Classic Works” of Art. Studies of Picasso and modern art inspired Bobbi to experiment with line, form and texture which evolved into “Mod Works."

It was Master Printer Dan Welden who advised Bobbi to either select a theme or a style for her artistic identity. Lawrence Alloway, author of American Pop Art, noted a penchant for circles in Mastrangelo’s art. A page of manhole cover photos caught her attention. That was her Eureka Moment! In 1979 Bobbi chose the manhole cover theme and the rest is “Grate History!”

Now Mastrangelo is internationally known for her “Grate Works:” transformations of manhole covers, sewers and grates into wall relief street-scapes and embossments on hand made papers. The message of her manhole art is to conserve and protect our precious resources.

Bobbi has had the most fun with her art happenings: from having students doing writings, rubbings or painting manhole covers to staging scenes with her sculptures. The mud-bound grate and base at Bobbi’s feet in the photo above were actually cropped into the scene for her 2009 National Post Card Week issue “Don’t Go Soft On Terrorism.”

You are invited to Circle this Web Site: See National Post Card Week and New Post Cards, Read the Poetry and Art Stories on her Bio (About). View The “Grate Works" of Art in the Gallery and Exhibitions. Peruse the Blog and add your “Grate Thoughts!” Become a part of “Grate History!”