Among the many events happening this weekend highlighting Zippo
Manufacturing Co.’s 75th anniversary will be a visit by an artist
who creates one-of-a-kind designs and engravings on Zippo
lighters.
Paul Fleming of Christchurch, New Zealand, is in town for the
event and has a Zippo lighter titled “Glisten” he engraved for the
online Zippo 75th Anniversary Charity Auction.
Fleming is an engraver and sandblaster and uses calligraphy and
Maori themes as he creates his one-of-a-kind designs directly onto
the lighters.
“I like to use quotes that hit you in the heart,” Fleming said
of some of his designs. “And I like to make them so that when you
move (the lighters) in the light, you can see something else. They
are movable.”
Fleming said he uses sandblasting or engraving to decorate the
lighters or sometimes a combination of both.
“People have said ‘I like the exclusivity of it. There isn’t
anything like it,'” said Fleming of what he has observed of others
looking at his work.
He said any of his creations on a Zippo can take from three to
30 hours of work depending on the detail of the design.
Fleming adds that the calligraphy aspect of any of the designs
he begins influences how the rest of the piece will turn out.
The “Glisten” lighter he created is a sapphire finish lighter
mounted in a perspex display case that has removable magnetic
covers. The display case allows the viewer to see all sides of the
lighter.
Fleming engraved on the display case around the lighter, “75
years of constant flame in an erratic world.”
He said in reviewing the history of Zippo-related media, he
became interested in all of the great slogans that have been used
in the many Zippo campaigns through the years and came up with that
one.
The lighter can be viewed on the Zippo Web site under the
auction headline section.
Fleming has also had the opportunity to complete an advanced
work on a Zippo BLU lighter, a butane lighter that will be
available in the fall.
The design he created for that lighter includes a play on words
“It’s a gas” and on the other side “Zippo BLU,” all in stylized
calligraphy. All around the lighter is a vine-like motif. In fact
it seems every millimeter of the lighter has a mark of sorts
including a pointillism approach.
Fleming became an artist who creates designs on Zippo lighters
in 2004 after he sent Zippo officials a sample of his unique work.
Soon after he was invited to join the swap meet and has since
become the owner of a Zippo Specialist Shop in Christchurch, New
Zealand.
Zippo also has a sandblasted glass creation of his and it is on
display in the current “Art of Zippo” exhibit in Blaisdell Hall at
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
He was also on hand at the 2006 Zippo/Case Swap meet.
Fleming and his wife, French-born Martine Carpentier are the duo
who make up “Free Spirit” of New Zealand. Carpentier doesn’t work
on Zippos, but the two work separately and in tandem on other
artistic projects. Their work can be found on the “Free Spirit” Web
site.
Being here in Bradford for this 75th anniversary event and past
Swap Meets, the couple says is something of a highlight for
them.
“We enjoy coming here and meeting the people from all over the
world,” the couple said of the Swap Meet experience. “It’s
incredible. We’ve got mates now on the computer and the ones we met
here.
“It’s interesting how people all over the world really like
Zippo,” said Fleming, who admits to becoming an avid collector
himself. “And it’s interesting you have a world-known brand here in
the bush.”
But the couple said they truly enjoy visiting Bradford and
meeting people and enjoying time with them in their homes.
“Real life is really cool,” said Fleming.
The couple will be on hand at the Roseart All Lighter Show at
the Masonic Temple from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
