ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, is a relatively recent term to arrive on the scene of scientific study and popular culture. It describes a phenomenon by which visual and/or auditory stimuli elicit a warm static sensation and subsequent sense of calm. ASMR has now come to describe a monolithic genre in social media videos, with entities like YouTube using this tag to accompany an astounding array of presentations that capture activities both naturally occurring and manufactured.

 One might deduce that seemingly all manner of videos could be considered ASMR and, to a degree, the assignment of the ASMR label is based on much subjectivity. In general, however, ASMR embodies video content which displays the process of making, performing, or saying something in a way that is particularly methodical, crisp, and pure. Amidst an age of instant gratification and the “finished product,” there is a growing desire to witness even the most benign of processes - perhaps, in a certain way, to fulfill an ancestral curiosity to understand where things come from.

Much of fine art and sculpture invites our curiosity in this way, where the manipulation of raw materials by hand and/or machine can tell us something about the world and about ourselves. The acronym ASMR, then, in addition to its more scientific definition, offers the gentle totem, “A Sculpture Mirrors Reality”."

Patrick Hurst honors the art of process, from the preparatory stages through the execution of a sculpture's design. Those tasks which one might deem more directly tied to his work include (but are hardly limited to) expert implementations of CAD modeling, CAM processes, pharmaceutical grade welding, manual machining, high grade finishing, and polishing. The respect for order and a highly developed sense of patience are evident in each of these areas. There is a humble approach to the materials and the workbench; even the act of sweeping up shop, tidying, and rearranging materials follows a clear methodology. When invited as spectators to glimpse these integral parts of Hurst’s journey, we are able to experience the sense of harmony and peace radiated by these processes. The rhythmic visuals and gentle hums of well-primed machinery promote a unique harmony of senses. The ASMR tag would happily accompany nearly any Hurst-related content.