"A business trip had brought me to Oregon in mid December. One evening, I walked through downtown Portland and ended up at a Christmas fare with numerous arts exhibits. Brian's work immediately caught my attention. I was particularly impressed by a robot he had assembled with old metal junk. It looked fantastic and had a kind of cute face. Unfortunately, it was already sold and just waited to be picked up by the new owner. As it is often the case, my interest increased even more once I realized that I could no longer buy the robot. In his calm and kind way, Brian made clear that it would not be possible to do the same robot, as he only creates unique pieces. However, he made a very generous offer to me: he suggested to simply create a second robot, maybe even two in parallel, and would give me the right to buy it for the price we had agreed. Knowing the business and media world quite well and being a trained lawyer, I was somehow puzzled by such a kind offer with no obligation on my side. Maybe he was just promising something that he would not keep? Maybe he would start haggling with the price, once he realized that there was more demand for robot 2 and 3? None of that was the case. We only communicated by e-mail, I got to see work in progress via JEPG-photos - and one day, after eight weeks, a huge UPS package arrived at my door in Manhattan. Brian had so carefully wrapped it to make sure that no damage could happen that it took me 35 minutes to unravel my commissioned robot. And what a piece of art it was. Ultimately, Brian is not only an astounding creative force, he has something that so many people in the art world miss: character. I have never met someone who is so humble, reliable and friendly. These attributes play a big role when you put art into your home. Who wants to have a sculpture from an asshole in his living room?"


-Thomas Clark, Business Correspondent,
Financial Times, New York City

“ The work of Brian Mock is more than art, it is a pure expression of the passion that every motorsports enthusiast feels when they touch a great creation. When Brian created the Bugatti for the 2002 Baxter AutoParts Historic Race, there was no doubt that the recipient of the award needed to justify the glory of the piece. John Baxter was selected as the recipient for his contribution to the promotion and continuation of Vintage Racing. Brian’s work is an extension of the passion and the joy, but with the knowledge that behind all of that is a unique creativity and a lot of hard work. ”

-Gill Campbell, General Manager
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

"Many Portland artists seem to live by the motto 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Resell for an Impressive Fee.' In the case of Brian Mock, there's something worth buying - his intricate sculptures made from machine parts are well-crafted, and sometimes rise above Saturday Market fare (fish, cars, garden stuff) to fantastic humanoids."

- Joseph Gallivan, Portland Tribune
November 11, 2005
"I first became aware of Brian's work when I saw him featured in November 2005 on an Oregon Public Broadcasting television program, "Oregon Art Beat." Brian's work intrigued me, so I contacted him and described my idea. We had several conversations and knew I had found the artist who could create the gift that I, as presiding officer of the Oregon Senate, give to my fellow senators at the conclusion of each legislative session. His finished product exceeded my expectations: 30 salmon sculptures handmade of recycled bronze, brass, copper and steel, along with nuts, bolts and other found materials. He even used recycled chair railings from a Capitol hearing room to create the sculpture base. Not only were his sculptures visually appealing, but they also had significant meaning. The sculpture recalls the room where we deliberated because images of salmon are woven into our Senate chamber carpet. Salmon represent the agility, resourcefulness and collaboration necessary to be a successful public servant and the use of recycled materials reflects Oregon's creative spirit. I am pleased with the results of Brian Mock's work and believe the community would benefit by supporting his visual art."

- Peter Courtney, Oregon Senate President

“We started the process with an episode of the OPB Television program, "Art beat", which we enjoy. It features the work of local artists, and allows us to see the creative process in action.
My wife, Kim, and I are the kind of folks who enjoy doing/creating/making things to enjoy and enhance our lives (though our efforts are modest by comparison-jewelry, crafting, that kind of thing), so we like to see other people doing the same thing. Especially those individuals who can create well. They are rare.
We are not, I assure you, snobs or critics. We do not have degrees in art history, we don't go to many gallery openings, we're not on anyone's "A" list.
But we can recognize the true artist from the common crafter like ourselves, and can determine the difference between a hobbyist, even one with some talent, from a true artisan-the fire, the vision, the touch. It shows.
The episode of Art beat that I refer to featured a local metal sculptor, Brian Mock. He was shown doing marvelous work, and we were entranced. His creations were so kinetic, and so much fun to look at, that we had to see more. It is hard to describe, in retrospect, how "jazzed up" we were-His work spoke to us, on some level, as only an artist can do.
We wrote down his web site, and decided to check it out. When we did, we were even more entranced. We recognized that, here, we had found someone who was following that call that real artists get; the need to create something unique and different. In his case though, he did it using common objects, in fantastic forms and shapes, and does it in such a way that true artwork is made.
We decided that we would like to have his work be a part of our world, a step we have rarely taken before. We wrote to him, expressing our thoughts about his art, and asked if he was willing to make a piece for us. We expected a formal, Thanx, but no Thanx-too busy.
Surprisingly, he responded quickly, and favorably!
We exchanged e-mails, then phone calls, deciding on a subject, and a price. Being of modest means, we sadly could not afford to support the creation of a piece on the scale he usually works in, which we would have loved to do, but what he created, our dragon, is wonderful, and we are very happy with it.
Brian was at all times accessible and open to us, and wanted to make something that truly ours to treasure.
He succeeded.
We brought it home from his studio a few days ago, and arranged for it's display and lighting.
It now occupies a prominent space in our home, and gives us great joy when we look at it.
I would recommend Brian and his work to anyone who wants to have a piece of art in their life that will be original, accessible, and personal. Brian is a good guy, and a rising artist, and his work shows that.
We hope to have an opportunity to work with him again in the future, and wish him all the creative and financial success he deserves."

-Kim and Jerry Allen, Vancouver, Washington

“As one of Brian’s earliest patrons and a continuing admirer of his unique vision and talent, I can assure you that his pieces are unlike anything I have seen in over forty years involvement in the motorsports scene. You will be delighted!”

-Bob Dunsmore Photography
“I first met Brian Mock via a newspaper article.  As an artist who had dealt with many of the same problems, I understood the frustrations of trying to get his art into the marketplace.  There is a huge difference between crafts and art.  Brian's work is truly art.  I invited him to The Portland Historics in Portland , Oregon.  He stepped through that door and has never looked back. ”

His creativity and skill, and the quality of his work are constantly evolving.  You never know what he is going to come up with next but you are always looking forward to that new piece and you invariably are amazed at just how “cool” it is.”

-Debbie Grant, D&D Ceramics