5 minute read
Dr. Strangebot
Written by: Heather Scurti Photographed by: Reagan Lee Designed by: Joseph Smallwood
Advertisement
As you step inside his workshop, your eyes are overwhelmed as hundreds of objects perched upon the shelves appear. Items such as corded telephones, antique cameras, vintage electrical heaters and old seasoning tins sit ready to be assembled. The smell of wood and years of history permeates the air. He sits on a stool, his hands dirtied from the metals, his arms filled with tattoos of robots he’s built — he is Dr. Strangebot.
At 66 years old, Dr. Strangebot, also known as Jim Behrman, is the ideal image of a big kid at heart.
Behrman has always loved robots — he began collecting them as a child and acquired around 30 to 40 throughout his life. The former mechanic and welder began building robots out of recycled parts nearly a decade ago.
“Ten years ago, I was online and I saw a guy had made a robot out of his car,” Behrman says. “He wrecked his car, which was a BMW, then he built a robot out of the (undercarriage) and engine parts, and I thought that was the coolest thing. So, I went outside in my work area and decided I was going to build a robot.”
His first try wasn’t quite a success. A month later, the feet broke off because he hadn’t welded the pieces together. Nevertheless, this minor setback did not deter him from persisting. Behrman continued to work at the craft.
“When you (make) artwork, your (work) evolves just like with anything else, even your job. You evolve and do better and better and better, as you go along,” Behrman says. “Well, that’s what happened. I started making lots of (robots) and the guest room was getting full of (them). My wife said, ‘Now, you (have) to find an avenue for the robots. You’ve got to do something with them.’”
Upon his wife’s request, Behrman went to the Lunar Festival in Riverside where he spoke with a few local art galleries. He was quickly connected with Mark Schooley, executive director of Riverside Community Arts Association (RCAA). Schooley took interest in the robots and created a showcase of Dr. Strangebot’s work in his gallery, which completely sold out.
Jim Behrman, also known as Dr. Strangebot, started building robots to fill his time after retiring from a career in welding and crane operating.
Dr. Strangebot, builds robots out of recycled parts.
Behrman also met Cosme Cordova, 47, owner of Division 9 Gallery, at the festival. Much like Schooley, Cordova took notice of Behrman’s work and began featuring his art in the gallery, and has personally seen how his robots have evolved.
“I ended up liking his work a lot, especially the fact that he uses artwork, pieces of metal or objects that are no longer in use. He combines (them) together (to look like) like an antique robot,” Cordova says. “It’s interesting how people can recognize those parts, from older ladies who use certain pans to cook to a mechanic who has a certain tool that he uses. He uses interesting parts, so I started to see how he evolved. His artwork has evolved, as well. He’s getting more and more to the point where you can’t tell how they are put together by his craftsmanship that he’s practiced over the years. I really like the fact that you can’t see the screw or the glue, or whatever he uses to combine it.”
In addition to the robots, Behrman’s friendship with Cordova has also evolved.
“We’ve become friends. If I don’t call him every other two weeks or so, he’s like, ‘What’s wrong? Are you mad at me?’” Cordova says.
Similar to the concept of Division 9, Made. Shop opened its doors to showcase the work of unique vendors in September 2015.
“We always had the idea of a maker’s space. There’s always antique markets and stuff like that but there’s no maker’s space. We ended up coming up with the idea of Made., where we can have a makers collective. It doesn’t matter what
you do — jams, jellies, soap, furniture, art — as long as it’s handmade, then it’s good,” saysRico Alderette, owner of Made.
Behrman’s robots stuck out to Alderette at the Riverside Festival of Lights years before his store opened — he knew he had to have Dr. Strangebot as a vendor in his store. Since 2016, Behrman has been selling his pieces at Made, and he’s built a friendship with Alderette over the years, much like he has with Cordova. “Jim has been a vendor since the beginning and I consider him a close friend,” Alderette says. “He’s got so much energy and it’s insane. He’s got a heart of gold. He’s just a really down-toearth, good guy.”
Throughout the years, Alderette has seen many unique pieces from Behrman, including work, outside of making robots, which he refers to as 'assemblage art".
“Jim does way more than robots. That’s what he’s known for, but he does a lot of cool stuff,” Alderette says. “Jim used to do furniture — we had some furniture pieces from him. He is a true artist.”
Behrman’s robots consist of old, vintage parts — electrical heaters and meters for bodies, candle sticks for legs, wrenches and forks for arms, and even video and still photography cameras for heads. Using these items and many more, he has made a plethora of different robots — male, female, cars, motorcycles, tractors, dogs and more.
“I want old (parts). The older, the better — it has more character,” Behrman says.
In the past, he used to acquire these items from thrift stores and yard sales but these mostly consist of newer products now. Therefore, he usually sticks to estate sales, antique auctions such as the Redlands Antique Auction and even friends who are on the lookout for parts.
An average 2-foot tall robot takes him about three hours or less to build. The larger designs, ranging from 5 to 7 feet, average about seven to eight hours, with breaks in between.
Behrman is very particular about his artistry and will continue tweaking his designs until he is satisfied.
Despite his hard work ethic, he doesn’t set goals for his craft but rather focuses on the enjoyment of the build.
“The older I get, the more I’m happy when I wake up in the morning. When you get (to be) my age and you’re retired, you don’t set goals because you’ve probably met most of your goals anyway. Now, it’s just fun. It’s just play — every day is play,“ Behrman says.
Behrman lives and breathes his craft — he continues to wake up every day excited to take on a new project and bring another old part back to life.
