"Birch Bark Bluff: Half Shelf"

Mike Dillon

"Having always looked at the world from a uniquely humorous perspective, I like to use everyday observations as inspiration to guide me in my designs."

In 1987 Mike Dillon founded Dillon Works!, a design-build company based on creative fabrication. While Dillon Works! objective is to collaborate with clients to turn their vision into reality, Alchemy Bluff Studios affords Mike the opportunity to do the same with his own creative vision. Alchemy Bluff Studios evolved over the years as Mike designed and built unique furnishings for his own home with assistance from a staff of highly skilled artisans. Each of his unique functional art designs reveals a sense of humor, something unexpected or just off kilter.

For Mike, things simply aren't what they appear to be. Using materials and techniques to fool the viewer have always been a part of his process. What might look like a wood branch is a cast resin element, or metal might be painted to look like wood, allowing Mike to design beyond the limits of traditional fabrication methods.

Mike's experience began fresh out of high school, late in the disco era, with his creative involvement in mechanical window displays for Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor. Mike then spent 5 years in Los Angeles at Walt Disney Co., where as an Imagineer he designed and built themed elements for Epcot Center, Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland. While significant, nothing compares to the twenty plus years of hands-on experience gained from owning his own business.