Into the Field

LIFE SIZE


ABOUT 10X8INCHES


LIFE SIZE


LIFE SIZE

THESE WERE MADE THROUGH JULY - AUGUST 2008.

These were inspired when I was an archaeology field tech when I was living in Memphis, TN. That job was the most physically demanding job I have ever had and loved every minute. It was a government job. We left each week every Monday morning at 3-4am and drove to a specific destination, a private national park to dig for Paleolithic Indian artifacts. We had to dig a whole every 30 meters, if it was high probability, or 50 meters, if it was low probability, where possible artifacts may be remaining. I have lots of these odd ink circle drawings that I was making at the end of each weekend after a weeks worth of digging.

I have more, trying to find them.

For Mr. Webber

THIS WAS MADE IN 2007.

WOOD, METAL, STRING, AND MIXED MEDIA

Mask for Japanese band, ONIKIRIMARU (Ogre Slayer)

I WAS CONTACTED IN JULY 2007 FROM ONE OF THE BAND MEMBERS, (THERE ARE ONLY TWO) WHICH THEY INSISTED THAT I KEEP
THEIR NAMES CONFIDENTIAL, SO I'M GOING TO NAME THEM, HANK AND ROY. HANK GETS A-HOLD OF ME ON THE PHONE, TOLD ME THAT
HE HAD SEEN SOME OF MY ART WORK IN THE PAST AND WOULD BE HONORED IF I COULD CREATE TWO MASKS FOR THEIR BAND, ONIKIRIMARU, (OGRE SLAYER).

HANK SAYS THEY WOULD LIKE THE MASKS TO BE A CROSS BETWEEN SOME KIND OF JAPANESE ART AND WEREWOLVES. I ASKED IF THEY NEEDED TO SEE SOME SKETCHES BEFORE I GO KNEE DEEP MAKING THESE THINGS AND HANK TOLD ME NOT TO SEND HIM ANY SKETCHES AND THAT ANYTHING I CREATED HE WOULD BE HAPPY WITH. SO WITH A GIANT GRIN, I TOOK THE CHALLENGE.

I SPENT A GOOD TWO MONTHS RESEARCHING JAPANESE ART AND WEREWOLVES. MY TIME WAS LIMITED TO WEEKENDS ONLY. DURING THE WEEK I WORKED ON A PROJECT AS AN ARCHAEOLOGY FIELD TECH, WHERE EACH WEEK WE LEFT FOR KOSATOCHI LOUISIANA NATIONAL PARK TO FIND INDIAN ARTIFACTS.

AT THE MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARY I FOUND SEVERAL REFERENCES ON KAMA KURA SCULPTURE JAPANESE ART (1185-1392) QUITE IMPRESSIVE! HERE'S A COOL SITE TO LOOK INTO SOME OF THAT: http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/japanese-buddhism-guide-top-menu.html

I FOUND THE FIRST BEST WEREWOLF REFERENCE FROM THE EARLY 1980'S FROM THE MOVIE, THE HOWLING (1981), AND THE SECOND WEREWOLF MOVIE TO BE FROM THE EARLY 1990'S; MERIDIAN: KISS OF THE BEAST.
SO HERE WE ARE IN MY STUDIO/ROOM -

THAT'S A PICTURE OF ONE OF THE WEREWOLF MONSTERS FROM, THE HOWLING UP ABOVE.

TOWARD THE BOTTOM ARE TWO LIGHT BLUE TEETH DRYING. THE PICTURES ARE OUT OF SEQUENCE, BUT WANTED TO SHOW THE SPACE I WORKED IN AS WELL AS SOME OF THE MATERIALS I USED AND REFERENCES.


HERE IS THE WIRE FRAME I STARTED WITH. I STARTED CREATING THIS AROUND AUGUST OF 2007.
IT BECAME MORE INTERWOVEN AND COMPLICATED - EVENTUALLY THERE WASN'T ANY MAJOR NEGATIVE SPACES. ALL THE SPACE WAS CONTOURED WITH WIRE. I REMEMBER TELLING HANK, THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE HIM A LATEX MASK OR SOMETHING LIKE PAPER MACHE - I WANTED THE MASKS TO BE DURABLE, ORNAMENTAL AND TO BE TAKEN CARE OF WHEN NOT IN USE.


HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE GUMS - THEY'VE BEEN COOKED AND ARE AIR DRYING.


HERE I'M STRETCHING THEM INTO SHAPE SO THEY FIT INTO THE MASK.


HERE ARE THE FIRST SET OF TEETH FOR THE TOP ROW. UN-COOKED.


HERE ARE ALL OF THE TEETH, RIGHT OUT OF THE OVEN.


BOTTOM ROW. NOT PAINTED YET.


TOP ROW, NOT PAINTED YET.


HERE IS THE FIRST LAYER OF WHAT I CALL SKIN.
BEFORE I ACTUALLY STARTED ADDING ANY FILLER, THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL 15 LAYERS OF SKIN ADDED.
THIS IS THE TOP VIEW OF THE HEAD.


SIDE VIEW OF HEAD.


INSIDE VIEW OF HEAD. I WAS SENT HEAD MEASUREMENTS SO THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY FITTING ISSUES LATER.


FRONT VIEW OF HEAD.


FIRST LAYER OF PAINT BEFORE FILLER.


THIS HAS PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR LAYERS OF PAINT NOW WITH SOME FILLER ADDED AROUND THE EYES, NOSE, AND CHEEK BONES.


TEETH PAINTED AND ADDED.



THIS IS MUCH, MUCH LATER. I WENT THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTAL PHASES OF WHAT THE MASK HEAD SHOULD LOOK LIKE - THIS IS ONE OF THEM. MOST OF MY FOCUS AT THIS TIME WAS AROUND THE MOUTH. BEHIND THE TEETH I INSERTED A SCREEN SO WHOMEVER WAS SINGING COULD BE HEARD WITHOUT THEIR TEETH OR PARTS OF THEIR FACE SHOWING.



AGAIN, THIS IS AFTER SEVERAL LAYERS AND EXPERIMENTAL PHASES, CHANGES - THE EARS NOW HAVE BEEN COVERED IN CLOTH'LIKE HAIR. MOUTH HAS BEEN REWORKED SEVERAL TIMES AND FACE AT THIS TIME, MOST LIKELY GOING THROUGH IT'S TENTH STAGE.


IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE COULD POSSIBLY BE AS MANY STAGES AS I HAVE SAID, HOWEVER A STAGE FOR EXAMPLE CAN BE AS THIN AS PAPER - A STAGE FOR ME IS A LAYER OF EITHER GEL, FILLER/TYPE OF CLAY MEDIUM, SILICONE, PLASTIC OR SOMETHING EXPERIMENTAL THAT I'VE CREATED IN THE STUDIO.

THIS IS THE LAST PICTURE IN THIS PROCESS, HOWEVER IS NOT THE FINAL OUTCOME OF THE MASK HEAD. IF YOU GET THE CHANCE TO SEE THE BAND, ONIKIRIMARU (OGRE SLAYER) PERFORM, YOU CAN GO SEE THE FINAL OUTCOME FOR YOURSELF.

STRANGERS

THIS WAS MADE IN 2007.

RANDOM PICTURES IN THE PARK. IT'S NEVER A COMFORTABLE FEELING WHEN SOMEONE IS WATCHING THAT I DON'T KNOW. IT'S BETTER TO LOOK AWAY OR LOOK WHEN THEY ARE NOT LOOKING. IT'S STRANGE TO BE A STRANGER, SOMETIMES. TAKE A PICTURE WHEN I THINK THEY ARE NOT LOOKING. EVERYONE ONE IS LOOKING. WHAT ABOUT IN THOSE TALL, TALL, BUILDINGS? WHAT ABOUT IN THOSE FAST, FAST, CARS? WHAT ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE AT THE STOP LIGHT, OR THOSE OVER THERE WALKING THEIR DOG? THE DOG IS LOOKING. DO YOU CARE THAT THE DOG IS LOOKING? I WONDER WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT? STRANGE TO BE A STRANGER, IT IS.

Let it go

THIS WAS MADE IN 2007.

LET IT TAKE YOU INSIDE.

Portrait of...

THIS WAS MADE IN 2007.

THE BLOCK OF WOOD IS 1X1 INCH AND .5 INCHES THICK.

A few ink drawings/sketches

THESE FIVE SKETCHES WERE MADE BETWEEN 2003 AND 2007.

GAR

THIS WAS MADE IN 2006.

MY FATHER AND I MADE A SCULPTURE FOR A SCULPTURE CONTEST THAT WAS BEING HELD AT THE ART FOUNDERY IN ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI. AFTER NOT BEING SELECTED, WE FOUND OUT THAT THE PIECES WERE TO BE BASED ON FORMALISM. NOW THE SCULPTURE RESIDES AT MY FATHERS HOUSE IN THE FRONT YARD.

SEVEN HOURS A DAY, IN FOUR DAYS - WE MADE THE GAR HEAD.

CREATED OUT OF AN OLD STEEL PIPE IN THE STEEL YARD OUTSIDE THE METAL SHOP;
THE GAR HEAD, STANDS 7 FEET HIGH, THE HEAD AND NECK (QUARTER INCH STEEL) WERE CUT INTO SECTIONS WITH A PLASMA GUN / CUTTER AND TACK WELDED TOGETHER. THE HEAD IS SPRAYED WITH RUST OLEUM EXTEND.

THE MOUTH AND TEETH ARE ONE PIECE MADE FROM GALVANIZED STEEL.

THE NECK IS WELDED TO A STAINLESS STEEL BASE, WHICH LATER AFTER INSTALLING IT INTO THE FRONT YARD, WE COVERED THE BASE WITH ROCKS.

THE CHROME PARTS OF THE EYES WERE CUT FROM STEEL BOWLS AND
THE BLUE PUPILS WERE CUT FROM THE TOPS OF HELIUM TANKS.

THE DEMO GAR HEAD IS SITTING NEXT TO THE 7FT. GAR HEAD IN THE 3RD PICTURE.

A couple of drawings/sketches

THESE WERE BOTH MADE IN 2003.

Line Design 12: Peach Orbit

THIS WAS MADE IN 2003.

I TOOK DESIGN 1 IN 1998. OUR INSTRUCTOR, CAN'T REMEMBER HER NAME, SHE WAS TERRIBLE. THERE WAS NEVER ANY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISISM. ALL OF US WOULD ALWAYS HERE, "OH THATS FANTASTIC", "BEAUTIFUL", "GREAT JOB, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK" - COME'ON, WE'RE NOT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL ANY MORE- EVEN THEN I RECEIVED CRITISISM.

OUR FIRST PROJECT WAS TO CREATE A LINE DESIGN BASED OFF OF PATTERNS, POSITIVE & NEGATIVE SPACE, AND LINE THICKNESS. FOR SOME REASON THAT DAY I REMEMBER REALLY ENJOYING THE APPEARANCE OF VALUE BETWEEN TWO PARALLEL LINES, HOW THE THICKNESS OF ONE LINE NEXT TO A THINNER LINE CAN CREATE DEPTH. AND DRAWING CONTINUOUS, LINE AFTER LINE IN A PARALLEL SEQUENCE BEGAN A NEW VENTURE INTO MEDITATIVE THINKING.

LATER, AFTER RESEARCHING THE NEOLITHIC ERA 2550-1600 B.C. IN ART HISTORY - I BECAME FASCINATED WITH STONEHENGE. MY THOUGHTS ON LINE DESIGN AMPLIFIED.

"THE STRAIGHT LINE BELONGS TO MAN, THE CURVED LINE BELONGS TO GOD." - 1900 ANTONI GAUDI.

STRAIGHT LINE IS SIMPLE - EVERYDAY. COMMON.
CURVED LINE IS MYSTERIOUS. EXPRESSIVE. MUCH MORE INTERESTING.

WHEN I APPROACH LINE DESIGN FOR MYSELF, I STAY AWAY FROM CURVED LINES. I'VE TRYED TO USE CURVED LINES IN SOME OF MY LINE DESIGN DRAWINGS; HOWEVER, I FIND THAT THEY BREAK MY CONCENTRATION. USEING THE QUOTE ABOVE AS MY CONCEPT FOR THE LINE DESIGNS I DRAW, I'VE FOUND THAT THE STRAIGHT LINE CAN MANIPULATE ITS PLANE AND BECOME EXPRESSIVE AND MYSTERIOUS WITHOUT A CURVED LINE.

A STRAIGHT LINE CAN CREATE ANGULATION. THOUGH, THE CURVED LINE CUTS CORNERS, AND MANIPULATES THE PLANE TO CREATE A FALSE VICTORY.

WHICH BRINGS US TO: MIND OVER MATTER.

Belly Button

THIS WAS MADE IN 2002.

THE BELLY BUTTON IS SHOWN REMOVED FROM THE BODY TO SHOW DISPLACEMENT, THE UNKNOWN. IT'S THE END OF THE BEGINNING. THOUGH, HERE, THE END OF THE BEGINNING, AGAIN, HAS BEEN REMOVED. THE SAME STATE IN WHICH I FIND MYSELF THINKING TIME TO TIME. I AM THE BEGINNING AND LIVING AN UNKNOWN END. AS WE ALL ARE. I WOULD LIKE TO FIND MY BIOLOGICAL MOTHER, BEFORE THE ABSOLUTE END. (ANALOGY)

THE SURGICAL TOOL HOLDING, 'BELLY BUTTON' ARE KNOWN AS, ABDOMINAL SPLITTERS, LOCATED IN THE PICTURE ABOVE. THE MIDDLE SECTION OF THE ABDOMINAL SPLITTERS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE CHROME TALLONS THAT HOLD THE BODY CAVITY IN PLACE.

Found

THIS WAS MADE IN 1998.

WHILE CLIMBING AROUND IN THE METAL YARD, THESE THREE ITEMS TOOK MY ATTENTION AS THEY GLIMMERED UNDER THE BEATING SUN. THEY WERE A PERFECT MATCH, AND HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR ELEVEN YEARS.

Glove

THIS WAS MADE IN 1998.

THIS WAS CREATED BASED OFF OF A DREAM, THAT WAS ONLY A FEW SECONDS LONG. LATER ON, I PLAN ON CREATING THE ENVIORNMENT LIKE THE ONE IN MY DREAM, AND RE-TAKING THIS PHOTOGRAPH.

IN THE DREAM, THE BACKGROUND WAS A THICK, FOGGY GREY, AND IN THE DISTANCE I COULD SEE VERY TALL, DARY GREY, INDUSTRIAL BEAMS, STANDING STRAIGHT UP. THE ONLY WAY I KNEW THAT A GROUND EXISTED, WAS WATCHING THE FOG SWIRL AROUND CLOSE TO WHERE I WOULD SUSPECT MY FEET TO BE, BUT I NEVER SAW MYSELF IN MY DREAM. IN THE CENTER OF THIS FOG IN THE FOREGROUND WAS THIS LONG ARM AND HAND. AT IT'S TOP WAS A CHAIN CONNECTING TO THE AIR - NOTHING, AND AROUND THE TOP, WHERE THE ELBOW WOULD POSSIBLY BE,, STEEL STRINGS CONNECTED AROUND THE JOINT FELL ALONG SIDE THE ARM AND HAND MAKING STATIC NOISES AND CHARGES. I STARTED SEEING WATER ROLL DOWN THE SHINY HAND AND DRIP FROM IT'S FINGER TIPS. THEN IN THE DISTANCE, THE TALL INDUSTRIAL BEAMS STARTED TO COLLAPSE. I COULDN'T HEAR THEM, I WAS ONLY ABLE TO SEE THEM FALL AND VANISH INTO THE THICK, GREY, FOG.

AFTER WAKING UP, I TALKED TO MY SCULPTURE INSTRUCTOR, WHICH WAS VERY INSIGHTFUL. THE FIRST THING SHE SAID TO ME WAS, "TAKE THE 'G' OFF OF THE WORD GLOVE, AND MAYBE THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE DISCONNECTED FROM IN YOUR FAMILY". IT HIT HOME, BUT SHE WAS RIGHT.

FROM THEN ON, A LOT OF MY WORK COMES FROM THAT ANALOGY/INTERPRETATION. REDUCTION PLAYS A HUGE ROLE NOW. I EMPATHIZE WITH A PART OF THE BODY BY REMOVING A SPECIFIC PIECE OR SECTION TO REPRESENT A STATE OF LOSS/ABANDONMENT, OR VULNERABILITY. I ALSO USE REDUCTION AS AN ANALOGY TO MY LIFE; I WAS ADOPTED.

I USE LOTS OF WORD PLAY ON REDUCTION AND ADOPTION.