Abstract combinations of imagery, painting and sculptural elements combine to create floating elements where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
48" x 36" Image transfer and pigments on aluminum with sculptural steel and polycarbonate structure.
48" x 36" Image transfer and pigments on aluminum with sculptural steel and polycarbonate structure.
48" x 36" Copper leaf and pigments on aluminum with sculptural steel and polycarbonate structure with image.
48" x 36" Image transfer and pigments on aluminum with sculptural steel and polycarbonate structure.
Elegant boat forms.
54" long lacquered steel.
56" long by 6" deep, hand-hammered copper and steel
There are many variations of this style.
The Japanese dolls are a piece of emotional history for me. I spent time there, in Japan, as an exchange student. It was a pivotal moment in my personal history and has affected my artwork, my designs and many aspects of my life ever since. I also think that Geisha dolls show a cultural uniqueness that’s instantly recognizable. They have subtle non-verbal connections, tell a story and I believe add meaning to an otherwise abstract surface.
When I work with the figure, whether it’s a human or a human-doll, it inspires me by the impression of expression on the face. What does it seem to say? How does it affect us? What do we feel when we look into it’s eyes? By placing the figures among the parallel bands, I create a layered depth within the boundary of the piece. Generally I place them above a textured metal surface that’s simultaneously reflective and solid.
60" x 48" Imagery and pigments on aluminum.
60" x 48" Imagery and pigments on aluminum.
24" x 40" Imagery and pigments on aluminum.
36" x 48" Imagery and pigments on aluminum.
I believe it is my responsibility as an artist to keep telling stories of our histories. I am obligated to observe the word around me and make some sense of it through visual means. Successfully doing this gives meaning to the social concerns and heightens awareness in each of us.
I’m influenced by the journeys we take in our lives. I am interested in how we travel from one phase of life to another. Sometimes it involves a physical move. Other times it is an emotional shift. How do we make it feel like home? When do we know we are ready to move on? Do we get stuck on concepts of safety and security, or do we honor the opportunity for growth?
I symbolize this through my use of iconic forms: boats, nests, houses…for me these forms hold histories. Where we have been and where we are going.
My primary use of steel gives permanence to these structures, but I push the boundaries by mixing in elements of glass, wire, paper and encaustic to bring a feeling of fragility and the ethereal nature of life.
As a consummate explorer and space science fan I have followed and worked briefly both in the Air Force and for NASA. The Apollo moon missions dominated my youth and made great impact on my vision and hope for the future.
While exploring boxes of old stuff one day I stumbled upon my Saturn 5 rocket model. I immediately began photographing it and using it in my Rockets and Stuff series.
Most of these are image transfers onto felt, aluminum or wood with painting and steel structural elements.
Feel free to explore!
24" x 24" Image transfer onto felt with steel structure on aluminum.
36" x 24" x 3"
Image printed on industrial felt, steel wire sculpture, images on lexan, on painted aluminum.
Growing up on books like, "S is for Space" and "R is for Rocket" and also working at NASA, I have a deep affection for all things to do with space exploration. The Apollo 11 astronauts returned from the moon on my birthday in 1969, what a present! This piece explores all these things.
36"x 24" x 2" Image transfer and pigments on aluminum with steel structure and wax.
48" x 48" x 2" Imagery and pigments on wood and aluminum. Steel ring and disks.
Lagrange points are areas in space situated between two large bodies (Earth and moon for example) where a satellite can be placed and maintain position with minimal stationkeeping.
I was inspired to explore this series after hearing a lecture by Dr. John Mather on the James Webb Space Telescope that will be launched in 2018. It will be placed at a lagrange point which rests behind the moon.
78" x 36" 3"
Imagery, painting and steel on aluminum and wood panel.
" The L2 point lies on the line through the two large masses, beyond the smaller of the two. Here, the gravitational forces of the two large masses balance the centrifugal effect on a body at L2." This is the point where the James Webb Space Telescope will be positioned to look further back in time to find the first galaxies that formed in the early Universe, and to peer inside dust clouds where stars and planetary systems are forming today. My interpretation includes the classic Saturn V rocket which is a personal favorite.
The Planetary Lense series is created using steel wire and layered lenses which contain and protect the encased milkweed seeds.
