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Magnetic Self-Portrait Meticulously Constructed with 7,000 Hand-Painted Screws

Art With Screws

Artist Andrew Myers has found his niche with 3D screw art. For years, we’ve marveled over the incredible, Pointillist-esque pieces that use thousands of screws to form life-like portraits and surreal imagery. Myers has just shared with us one of his latest works called Opposites Attract, which is an unconventional self portrait. In it, Myers himself is drawn towards the pull of a giant magnet. Bit by bit, pieces of him are attracted and stuck to the giant horse shoe.

It took the artist a month of working “long and arduous days” to complete Opposites Attract. Comprising over 7,000 screws, each of them is individually painted and fastened into a large 40-inch by 80-inch wood panel clad in white automotive paint. The stunning result elevates the everyday screw from ubiquitous building material into a contemporary art form—something you’d never expect from it.

Like other works of Myers’ screw art, Opposites Attract looks drastically different depending on that angle from which it’s viewed. From straight-on, it appears as a flattened portrait, but from the side, the bodies of the screws are revealed.

Andrew Myers creates art with screws. His latest piece called Opposites Attract features over 7,000 individually-painted screws.

Screw Art

Screw Art

Art With Screws

3D Screw Art

Here's Myers in the midst of making his screw art:

Screw Art

A post shared by @andrewmyersart on

Andrew Myers: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Andrew Myers.

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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