At first glance, one would understandably be perplexed by Timm Paxton’s affinity for Benvenuto Cellini, the 16th century Italian High Renaissance artist, sculptor, goldsmith, mercenary and writer. Paxton — or Brother Timm, his preferred nom de artiste — has, among other things, gained a good reputation for recycling Fisher-Price toys into customized small pull toys as well as vinyl Munnys decorated with personal graffiti art (available for sale at Mechanized Records on the west side of downtown). His toy designs also are featured at Patch Together. (Below are a tattoo on a Kid Robot Munny and Mask of Christ, oil on canvas.)

Yet, Brother Timm’s artistic experience spans much wider, echoing contemporary variations of the diversified Mannerist perspective exemplified in the work of artists including Cellini, such as his 1540 creation of a salt cellar of gold and ebony featuring Poseidon and Amphitrite — water and earth, respectively in uncomfortably positioned elongated forms. Brother Timm has worked in many media — metal, sculpture, jewelry, calligraphy, silversmithing, wood, tattoos, and graphic art. And, he has created nine board games.

Much as the great Renaissance artists such as Da Vinci were influenced by the potential of science and machine, Brother Timm, 37, values the scientific approach, likening his creative process to that of the expert in reverse engineering. “I see possibilities in every imaginable canvas and material,” he says, adding that he now comfortably avoids the risks of his youthful days in Portland, Oregon. For example, authorities were far less than pleased with the young artist when he decided to decorate a courthouse dome for his 20th birthday. (Below are Anke of Incubus, mixed painting and German silver, and an untitled work currently sitting an easel in his studio.)

The Mannerist perspective is firmly embedded in the recognizable, characteristic touches which define Brother Timm’s art. Artificiality is a central principle to the Mannerist and the stylistic labeling as such cannot be neatly categorized. For him, his canvases run the gamut from toys to T-shirts and to Vespa scooters, Peugeot mopeds, and even 1960s-vintage Alfa Romeo cars.

On June 20, Brother Timm will have a major art installation exhibit at the Disorderly House Boutique on 300 South, between 200 East and 300 East. He also plans on several studio shows throughout the spring.