Archive

17 Jun

Posted at 19:18h in by
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“Megalodon” is the ultimate apex predator. Emulating the elaborate action-figure play-sets of my youth, this piece appears to be a Shark from a distance. Closer inspection reveals it to be a vessel, part submarine, part spaceship, teeming with the activity of its crew working at their respective tasks. This project began as a salvaged wing fuel tank from a F-94 bomber plane, and thousands of other lovingly hoarded, and hand crafted objects. The final effect is of a “Grand Miniature”. The viewer is both dwarfed, and empowered in its presence. Please watch the video above for a more full experience.

I’d like to thank:

Ken from Universal Metal Polishing for helping me put the shine on this thing.

Christopher Potter for this video, and some of the photos.

Arthur Gould (My Dad!) for the eerie soundtrack.

If you’re looking for a shorter version of the video, you can find it here.

31 Oct

Posted at 15:46h in by
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This piece is intended as the dark other half of my previous “Deus Machina” sculpture.  Together I see them as a sort of yin and yang in my universe.  This one features deep red light effects and a hidden smoke machine.  I had difficulty capturing these features, so please browse the various documents on the page to form a fuller sense of it.

19 May

Posted at 10:00h in by
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The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented disruption to the flow of life. What began as a dire health concern quickly devolved into a political issue that further isolated people from one another. This sculpture presents the COVID molecule as a ball-and-chain restraint device. A key is seen captured within a glass syringe, offering a way free. The dual meaning implied is that for the health conscious and vaccine skeptic alike, we were all bound by this thing, however we felt about it.

01 Sep

Posted at 11:26h in by
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This is the latest entry in my “migraine machine” series.  Turning the crank generates enough power to cause all of the indicator lights to flicker and the meters in the eyes and mouth to twitch.

23 Jun

Posted at 20:10h in by
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The word “Parallax” is defined: the effect whereby the position or direction of an object appears to differ when viewed from different positions.

22 May

Posted at 11:47h in by
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This piece was a reaction to the terrible experience of witnessing an opiate overdose on the street near my studio.  The victim had two upset dogs, so I could not approach them to help (and probably couldn’t have done anything anyway).  He ultimately survived, but not before I had to give him up for dead.  The feeling of helplessness led me to make this absurd solution in the spirit of the American healthcare system. The silver spoon is attached to a working trigger mechanism which flings drugs at the target (the pills are not real opiates).

29 Apr

Posted at 17:02h in by
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The Gaslight was originally designed as a pirate vessel. The ship would surface near land, in foggy conditions and mimic light house signals in order to attract oil tankers, then attack and drain them. The design was so effective it was later adopted by oil companies as a low cost alternative to drilling, and eventually the Navy for diplomatic purposes.

27 Feb

Posted at 21:35h in by
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I’ve had this unfortunate little preserved blowfish (sometimes known as “balloon fish”) on a shelf in my home for years. During a recent bout of “Oh man, what am I going to make now?” I had the inspiration to develop it into an airship. In hindsight, I can now say that blowfish is among the most challenging sculpture mediums I have attempted to work with.

03 Nov

Posted at 11:35h in by
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“Reverse Engineered” is my first in-person art event in years!  If you’re in the area, please visit this pop-up exhibition in downtown Oakland:

465 9th Street, Oakland CA

Closing Reception Friday, December 3, 5-8PM

This will be the last chance to see this exhibit before it comes down!

I’m also available for private appointments, contact me if you’d like to set one up.

05 Jun

Posted at 21:21h in by
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It seems a large proportion of my work is finding solutions for problems that don’t exist. In this case, I felt it was necessary to power six mechanical egg beaters with one crank. It took some doing, but problem solved (L’oeuf is french for “the egg” by the way).

22 May

Posted at 14:37h in by
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It’s been said that “The best defense against a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun”.  But in today’s world it can be difficult to tell them apart.  This device “aims” to solve that problem.  Simply wave it around indiscriminately and power is generated by the rotating counterweight, activating the good-guy/bad-guy meter….sometimes it gets stuck though, so be careful (this is meant as satire, sculpture is totally harmless).

22 May

Posted at 14:31h in by
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Each of these pieces appear at first to be some kind of grenade launcher.  Upon closer inspection one finds that pulling the trigger flings the safety lever away, leaving the user with a firmly attached, active grenade (dummy practice grenades were used for these pieces, not real ones).

05 Jun

Posted at 21:07h in by
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The eyes are vintage vacuum tubes (called Nixie tubes) displaying the symbols for Ohms and Volts. Rotated at an angle and cycled back and forth, and they resemble blinking eyes.

22 May

Posted at 12:27h in by
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This ongoing series explores the absurdity of conflict and diplomacy in politics.  Each piece is a variation on the idea that adversaries can shake hands without having to touch each other.  In some cases actual electrical vibrators are installed to produce the necessary shaking when the trigger is pulled.  The smaller designs are intended for politicians to “reach across the aisle” while the larger one is for long distance use and can be set to either “shake” or “slap” hands.

14 May

Posted at 18:29h in by
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This piece was a private commission, based on the theme of a “Space Ark”. Initially the idea was that the ship would be filled with specimens. Gradually it evolved into the idea that it was a life-boat for the American Middle Class. Blasting a slice of mediocrity into space may be the last hope of preserving that way of life.

27 Feb

Posted at 16:00h in by
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These compelling little hand sculptures are derived from the mercury tilt switches in old household thermostats.  Allow the liquid metal inside to slide against the contacts and the LED indicator lights up.  The indicator itself is adjustable too, providing another degree of interactivity.

27 Feb

Posted at 15:54h in by
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Go ahead and deny it: You’re addicted to your phone.  This pavlovian device helps teach you the error of your ways.  Click the “like” button and get a painful reminder of your folly.

27 Nov

Posted at 12:22h in by
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Four iterations of the “Cabinet of Curiosities” series were made.  Arranged within repurposed and painted typesetters drawers, each is a unique curated selection of objects from my own collection of treasures in my studio.  In many cases you’ll find the same objects represented in each composition, but each one also contains one of a kind finds.  Some of these items have been in my possession for decades, waiting for the right moment to shine, some are artifacts from other sculptures in my portfolio.  Look closely!