Frank Strunk III grew up in Rockville, Maryland. Raised by Appalachian parents, his formative years were defined by a strong work ethic and a passion for music. As an introverted child, he worked in his father’s printing business, first sweeping up and eventually running the presses. He was mesmerized by the sound of the gears and the movement of the machinery.

Strunk's trademark kinetic sculptures revel in the excitement he first felt surrounded by the mechanical energy of the presses. What is always startling about these works is the delicate simplicity of the resulting motion from such a complex mechanical system. In Exit Strategy, a moth gently flutters, a persistent yet futile effort towards escape.

The self-taught artist moved to St. Petersburg over 20 years ago, developing his signature industrial style through years of hard work and self-reflection in the studio. His striking and recognizable work combines the brute qualities of welded metal sculpture with the profound message of an introspective philosophical pursuit.

"My art is often about the things that I feel matter most. Every great piece of art was fueled by love. It's just garbage metal. I burnish it. I polish it. I want to make things that are beautiful out of things that are nothing."

Influenced by his interest in a diverse array of writings on comparative religion, mythology and the human condition, including Eckerd Tolle, Eric Hoffer, Joseph Campbell and Sam Keen, the artist creates structures that explore themes of masculinity, work, and love.

Innovation and breakthroughs occur for the artist following long periods of solitude in the studio, and the results reflect his own trials and tribulations, his ideas on life and how to live it, and his continuing pursuit of happiness and beauty. A new series of mixed media works read like reliquaries containing sacred vessels of mysterious substances. Adorned with beautifully intricate ornamentation and a richly textured patina, they feel simultaneously contemporary and ancient. The artist offers a hint of a powerful metaphysical energy collected within by ascribing titles to the objects such as Truth Serum and Love Potion No. 9.