Art and War

General Sherman, a distant relative, said that "War is Hell". Many artists have depicted both hell and war over the millennia and had a profound effect with their work. Unfortunately, war has become a video game for many and the reality has become distant. Bombing and drone strikes also create a push- button detachment from the carnage and anguish. When the US stuck in several countries after 9/11, I felt compelled to put something out in public. I also decided to leave it up until all our troops have left those nations. This assemblage work aims at conveying the emotions of the tragic witnesses of war.

Faces of War

Driftwood Assemblage

I have collected a copious amount of driftwood. Sometimes the shapes lend themselves to direct placement on a flat surface as elements in a mask or landscape. I also fit pieces together to form a sculpture in the round, such as a bird or tree. In some cases both of these techniques are used in tandem. Various methods of fixing and connecting parts are employed, including steel pegs, screws and glue. The combined effect of the shapes and placement can be striking or visceral. These objects have evoked some of the strongest reactions of all my work.

Waterfowl II

Drifty Walker

Commercial Applications I

Following some newspaper publicity and word of mouth connections about twenty years ago, I began to get some commercial commissions. Although many of the businesses are now defunct, the variety of requests was astounding. For example,  I made a 25 foot long bas-relief chinese dragon for a futon store. I installed this at the top of their building on a brick wall. A logo I replicated in wire for a local Marijuana dispensary resulted in a 50$ tip because the proprietor only had a roll of 100s! A Basil Rathbone Holmes statuette I created for a mystery bookstore was awarded to the winner of a Sherlock Holmes look-a-like contest at a conference. Oddly, a Buddha I crafted for a local temple based on the one we visited in Kamakura, Japan was rejected. The priest said it was "too fat" for their sect. One of the most amusing projects was a 3-D sign for a hair studio in the central business district. After a colored pencil conference with "Cookie", the owner,  we settled on an upside-down pyramid with a hair ball on top! I even installed an all-weather light in the upper portion for fun. Lucky for me, she paid a professional sign firm to do the installation. "Liberated" from the site after the demise of the business, it now resides at a friend's vacation home used for music and art parties.

Above Ground Hair Studio

My Take on Dada

Dada, a movement in the art world,  is both sophisticated in its premise and often simple in its execution. While it began as a reaction to WWI,  it was also a rejection of bourgeois values and the narrow-minded art world. It can be a play on the consumer world we inhabit or poke fun at what mainstream society believes is valuable in life. Often everyday objects are refashioned with an absurd twist. I was asked to create a set of sculptures to accompany a Dada play about a young man's struggle to become an artist, despite his family's misgivings. What I assembled is below.

The Perfect Family

Masks as Tribute

They have been described as metaphors for transformation. Masks have been utilized to appease the gods who govern the natural forces affecting agriculture. They are tools to ward off demons and angry spirits. Masks can also allow humans to access their "dark side" and perhaps reduce internecine conflict. We commissioned a couple we met in Haines, Alaska to create an eagle moiety mask. Their work honors their ancestors and carries on an important tradition.  In my work, masks provide an avenue to pay tribute to peoples inhabiting Earth,  inspiring animals, characters from literature and the influence of other artists.They are my personal take on a theme, may connect at an oblique angle and often have humorous results.

Tribute to Picasso

The Challenge of the Human Figure

My life-long experience drawing animals, trees and flowers has facilitated the creation of sculptures of various fauna and flora. However, I stopped drawing people in junior high school. The proportions, physical attitude and especially faces are a challenge. My friends and fans have helped me enormously with their feedback. My lack of formal art training, combined with a rapid style of rendering objects has resulted in bizarre figures. Although viewers enjoy them; they have been difficult to sell. Below is a humanoid created in the late 1990's.

Dynamo Man