Author: Rachael Que Vargas

Marble Mosaic of Table 34 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae

Marble Mosaic of Table 34 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2023 Marble, Travertine, Onyx, Limestone, Gatorfoam substrate, Steel frame. 86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy Set in Stone.

Washington Post, 22 August 2022

Blakemore, Erin. “Artist’s Stone Mosaics Are Life-Size Homages to Renaissance Anatomist.” Washington Post , 22 Aug. 2022.  

Circulating Now: National Library of Medicine

“Anatomy Set in Stone – Circulating Now from the NLM Historical Collections.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 11 Aug. 2022. In 2016, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) fielded a reference request seeking high resolution images of an anatomical atlas from our Historical Anatomies website for use as reference material in […]

Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History.

Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History. Presented by Stephen Fry, BBC One, 27 Feb. 2022.  

Marble Mosaic of Table 44 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae

Marble Mosaic of Table 44 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2020Marble, Travertine, Onyx, Limestone, Gatorfoam substrate, Steel frame.86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy Set in Stone. Although this mosaic is finished, due to […]

Marble Mosaic of Table 26 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae

Marble Mosaic of Table 26 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2021Marble, Travertine, Onyx, Limestone, Lapis Lazuli, Red Jasper, Blue Quartz, Rose Quartz, tiger Eye, Gatorfoam substrate, Steel frame.86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy […]

Marble Mosaic of Table 45 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae

  Marble Mosaic of Table 45 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2020Marble, Travertine, Onyx, Limestone, Petrified Wood, Gatorfoam substrate, Steel frame.86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy Set in Stone. Although this mosaic is […]

Marble Mosaic of Table 43 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae

Marble Mosaic of Table 43 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2020Marble, Travertine, Onyx, Limestone, Petrified Wood, Gatorfoam substrate, Steel frame.86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy Set in Stone. Although this mosaic is finished, […]

Marble Mosaic of Table 19 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae

Marble Mosaic of Table 19 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2019Marble, Travertine, Onyx, Limestone, Blue Quartz, Rose Quartz, Star Ruby, Black Garnet, Gatorfoam substrate, Steel frame.86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy Set in […]

Zen Sculptural Fire Pit at Google Chicago Fulton Market

I can’t resist the joke— from now on, whenever I get an email promising to improve my search results, I’ll send them to this page so they can see that my Zen Sculptural Fire Pit is literally on top of Google, on the roof deck. Behind the fire pit are stunning, unobstructed views of the […]

King Isosceles Sculptural Fire Pit at Redstone American Grill, Minnetonka, MN

A King Isosceles Sculptural Fire Pit nestles among boulders between the entry and the patio at Redstone American Grill, Minnetonka, MN. You can tell from the buildup of logs and ashes that it’s seen a lot of use. Each location features a wood burning rotisserie and open flame grill, as well as an outdoor patio […]

Zen Sculptural Fire Pit at La Source Bains Nordiques, Rawdon, Quebec

La Source Bains Nordiques is a spa located in Rawdon, in the Lanaudière region of Québec. Amenities include steam bath, dry sauna, outdoor whirlpool tubs, Nordic waterfall and pools, a cold river for bathing, a thermal waterfall, a “dark room” inside the mountain, indoor relaxation areas, areas for meditation in the forest, massage therapists, and […]

Zen Sculptural Firepits at Lookout Cabin, The Canyons Resort

Enjoying an outdoor meal or a cocktail at Lookout Cabin is warm and comfortable thanks to four Zen Sculptural Fire Pits installed as gathering spots across the deck. Amazing views of the Wasatch Range and rustic decor are the perfect setting for the restaurant’s well-praised Rocky Mountain cuisine. Located at the mid-station of the orange […]

Atmospheric photos of Rumfire’s Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pits

The eight Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pits at Rumfire Waikiki’s beach front patio are an iconic part of the restaurant’s chic atmosphere. Since 2008, these fire features have provided a stunning background for countless photos, all the more impressive due to the natural beauty of the ocean and Diamond Head. The lighting in these […]

Deluxe S’mores Cooked over the Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pits at Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa

Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa offers deluxe s’more kits which guests can cook over one of the four Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pits at The Cliff Dive Grill. “Guests traveling to our resort will love experiencing a local take on a classic childhood favorite with our beachside s’mores program,” said Mike Masterson, director of […]

Marble Mosaic of Table 33 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae

Marble Mosaic of Table 33 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2019Marble, Travertine, Onyx, Limestone, Rose Quartz, Star Ruby, Black Garnet, Gatorfoam substrate, Steel frame.86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy Set in Stone.

Marble Mosaic of Table 38 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae

Marble Mosaic of Table 38 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2019Marble, Travertine, Onyx, Limestone, Rose Quartz, Star Ruby, Black Garnet, Gatorfoam substrate, Steel frame.86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy Set in Stone.

Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad

Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad, by Austin Kleon, Workman, 2019. Print. pp. 148–152.

Fine Gardening Magazine

“Embracing Wild Color.” Fine Gardening Magazine, 7 Mar. 2019.

Laughing Squid

  Dorn, Lori. “Life Sized Mosaic Recreations of 16th Century Anatomical Engravings by Bartolomeo Eustachi.” Laughing Squid, 8 Jan. 2019.

Atlas Obscura: Turning Anatomical Drawings Into Mosaics, Stone by Stone

Jessica Leigh Hester wrote a fantastic piece about the Anatomy Set in Stone project for Atlas Obscura. This may be the best article written about it yet 2019 Hester, Jessica Leigh. “Turning Anatomical Drawings Into Mosaics, Stone by Stone.” Atlas Obscura, 8 Jan. 2019.  

Jason Kottke

  2018 Kottke, Jason. “Life-Size Stone Mosaics Based on 16th-Century Anatomical Drawings.” Kottke.org, 18 Dec. 2018.

Boing Boing

Doctorow, Cory. “Kickstarting Mosaics Made from Precious Stones and Marble That Replicate 16th-Century Anatomical Drawings.” Boing Boing, 17 Dec. 2018.

Smithsonian Magazine

Smithsonian Magazine wrote an excellent, in depth article about my Anatomy Mosaics! You can read it here (and see giant images of all of the finished mosaics). Michelle Z. Donahue, the writer, did a great job of explaining the project and putting it in historical context.   Donahue, Michelle Z. “This Artist Redefines a ‘Chiseled […]

Marble Mosaic of Table 21 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae

Marble Mosaic of Table 21 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae, 2018Marble, Travertine, Limestone, Blue Quartz, Rose Quartz, Star Ruby, Gatorfoam substrate, Steel frame.86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy Set in Stone.

Marble Mosaic of Table 23 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae

Marble Mosaic of Table 23 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae, 2018Marble, Travertine, Limestone, Gatorfoam substrate, Steel frame.86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy Set in Stone.

Marble Mosaic of Table 28 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae

Marble Mosaic of Table 28 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae, 2018Marble, Travertine, Limestone, Star Sapphire, Gatorfoam substrate, Steel frame.86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy Set in Stone.

Marble Mosaic of Table 30 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae

Marble Mosaic of Table 30 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae, 2017Marble, Travertine, Limestone, Star Sapphire, Hardiebacker substrate, Steel frame.86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy Set in Stone.

Marble Mosaic of Table 31 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae

Marble Mosaic of Table 31 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae, 2017Marble, Travertine, Limestone, Hardiebacker substrate, Steel frame.86.25″ High x 50.25″ Wide x 2″ Deep This mosaic is part of a larger project I am building. Details of the full project can be found here: Anatomy Set in Stone.

Anatomy Set in Stone: Planning, Prep and Practice

  It’s not revolutionary to tell you that if you have a big project in mind, you can save a lot of time and frustration by doing as much advance planning as possible. You’ll still need to amend, revise, improvise and adapt as you go but the more you can nail down the big questions […]

Small Gardens Magazine

  Loughrey, Janet. “Bright Magic.” Small Gardens, 2018, pp. 1, 18–25.

Greenville Journal, September 2017

My Firefly Sculptural Firebowl™ is photographed and mention in this article about the renovation of a historic home in Greenville, South Carolina. Burnette, Stephanie. “Past Lives.” Greenville Journal, 20 Sept. 2017.

La Siren III, a Commission for the American Museum of Natural History

La Siren III, 2017Vitreous glass, bottle caps, stone, copper, 15.65 carat emerald, glass eyes, plywood and Hardiebacker substrate60″ H x 36″ W x 1.5″ DCommissioned by the American Museum of Natural History La Siren III was commissioned by the American Museum of Natural History for the traveling exhibition Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids. I’m […]

Mythic creatures

    I’m so pleased to have my 2004 mosaic, La Siren II, featured in this beautiful book from the American Museum of Natural History! The museum also commissioned me to build a recreation of La Siren to accompany the traveling exhibit now on tour. This is a book I would buy and enjoy regardless […]

Upstate House, Spring 2017

  A visit to the scrap yard inspired sculptor John Unger to create his iconic firebowls. “I saw them cutting a propane tank,” he recalls, “they cut the end off and I saw this perfect bowl and immediately thought of cutting flames into it.” That was in 2005. Since then, the Hudson-based artist has created […]

Envisioning Black Feminist Voodoo Aesthetics by Kameelah L. Martin

  My mosaic of the Vévé for Erzuli was used for the cover design of Envisioning Black Feminist Voodoo Aesthetics by Kameelah L. Martin. Martin, Kameelah L. Envisioning Black Feminist Voodoo Aesthetics: African Spirituality in American Cinema. N.p.: Lexington, 2016. Print.

A Magen David Mosaic for Congregation Kadima

Magen David mosaic for The New Reform Congregation Kadima, 2018Sicis and vitreous glass tile, copper, GatorFoam and plywood substrate.12″ H x 12″ W x 1.5″ D  This small mosaic will be used to create a sacred space when the Congregation Kadima is meets in spaces other than their own temple. The client instruction were as […]

Unemployable with Brian Clark— Rainmaker.fm

Brian Clark and I became friends shortly after he first launched Copyblogger as a one-person blog in 2006. Both of us were very early adapters to marketing online and we were all learning from each other as we tried new ideas. We got to meet in person finally at SXSWi and I always looked forward […]

Junk Monkey— Masquerade Bell Lantern Series

This lantern has such expressive character! The ears and nose are made from the handles used to lift heavy propane tanks by crane or chain hoist. The eyes, of course, are gears with a bit of the original red paint left on.

Eagle Mask— Masquerade Bell Lantern Series

This lantern was inspired more by the materials at hand than by any specific historic style of mask.

Fudo Myoo — Masquerade Bell Lantern Series

This lantern is a commissioned portrait of Fudo Myoo (also known as Acala). Fudo is one of the Five Bright Kings, powerful deities in Japanese Buddhism and folk religion.

A Fire Sculptural Fire Pit Torch to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Newport Winter Carnival

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Newport Winter Carnival, Christopher Marcotte commissioned a Great Bowl O’ Fire 30 inch Sculptural Firebowl™ to be installed in the town’s Little Common on a tall torch base.

Warrior — Masquerade Bell Lantern Series

This lantern is a reworking of an African mask design I previously used in my Face of Spades series. This lantern can be used on a table or pedestal and includes a battery powered LED light.

NW Coast Eagle Design — Masquerade Bell Lantern Series

This lantern is a reworking of an Northwest Coast Native American mask design I previously used in my Face of Spades series.

Singing Buddha — Masquerade Bell Lantern Series

This lantern is a reworking of an African mask design I previously used in my Face of Spades series. Although the face is inspired by an African piece, the ears were inspired by the oversize earlobes commonly seen on sculptures of the Buddha.

Moon Prince — Masquerade Bell Lantern Series

This lantern is a reworking of a Chinese mask design I previously used in my Face of Spades series. The crown is made from a transmission housing. This lantern can be used on a table or pedestal and includes a battery powered LED light.

Ganesha — Masquerade Bell Lantern Series

Ganesha is one of the best-known and most widely worshiped deities in the Hindu pantheon. Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and as the Lord of Beginnings.

Dogon Walu Mask — Masquerade Bell Lantern Series

This lantern is loosely based on Walu and Kanaga masks carved in wood by the Dogn people of Mali.

Spanish Fighting Bull — Masquerade Bell Lantern Series

This lantern is my freehand drawing impression of a Spanish fighting bull. From his expression, you can see that the matador is in trouble!

African Cow Mask — Masquerade Bell Lantern Series

This lantern is based on an African mask design and hand cut from a recycled steel oxygen tank.

Waves Sculptural Fire Pits Warm Winter Weather

For most of us, gathering around the fire is a seasonal activity. In summer and fall a fire is a favorite way to spend an afternoon or evening. In spring, if it’s not too muddy or wet, gathering around the fire is a pleasant return to the outdoors. In winter, well— most of us prefer to be warm indoors. But as a major part of your outdoor décor, the right fire feature can be enjoyed year-round.

Ghede Libation Bottle, 1997

Ghede Libation Bottle, 1997Ceramic, Leather, Beads & Mixed12″ x 8″ x 8″Collection: Marilyn Houlberg This was the first piece of art I ever sold. This libation bottle was used by by Haitian houngan, Saveur St. Cyr during ritual trance while visiting Chicago. He chose it from among the thirty-odd traditional bottles on Marilyn’s Ghede altar. […]

Radio Ancestrale, an installation commissioned by Tarble Arts Center, EIU, 2000

Introduction “Nowhere is Kongo Angola influence on the new world more pronounced, more profound, than in black traditional cemeteries throughout the south of the united states. The nature of the objects that decorate the graves there, as well as in places as diverse as Haiti and Guadalupe in the West Indies, reveals a strong continuity. […]

Mask created for Redmoon Theater’s Winter Pageant, 2000

Mask created for Redmoon Theater’s Winter Pageant, 2000
Steel, Wood, Wool
14″ x 12″ x 32″
Collection: The Artist

Rural Intelligence

  Larson, Jamie. “Hudson Sculptor John T. Unger Creates Great Bowls Of Fire.” Rural Intelligence, 14 Dec. 2015.

Hawaii Five-0, season 6, episode 4

      As the whole Five-0 team gathers at Rumfire towards the episodes end, you can see one of the Great Bowls O’ Fire in the background of several shots. “Ka Papahana Holo Pono.” Hawaii Five-0, season 6, episode 4, CBS, 16 Oct. 2015.

Crocodile Mask, 1999

Crocodile Mask, 1999Wood & Mixed46.5″ x 12.25″ x 9.5″Collection: The Artist This is one of my favorite found object pieces. The face and jaws are all made from a cut and resassembled cigar rolling tray. The vertical planes of the face are the tops of salvaged window frames.

Fudo Myoo Light Fixture, 2015

A sculptural steel steel light fixture in the visage of Fudu Myoo the Wisdom King.

Material, AHA A House For Art, PBS

“Material.” AHA! A House For Arts. PBS. WMHT, Troy, NY, 9 Sept. 2015. Television.

Trellis Trilogy, 2014

These three panels are each 50 x 50 inches and are installed on the wall of a roof-top garden in Pompano Beach, FL. The client had seen several of my other scrap fence designs and wanted something similar for her space. This was the first commissioned project I did in the Hudson, NY studio.

Acrobat Fence for Discovery Playhouse, 2011

Discovery Playhouse commissioned this fence for their Children’s Museum in Cape Girardeau, MO. The faces in the fence are glass mosaic, which were complete as a project with a local arts group.

Bittersweet Vine Motif Steel and Copper Trellis, 2004

Bittersweet Vine Steel and Copper Trellis, 2004Steel, Copper36″ x 20″ x 1″Private Collection This trellis was just an improvisation on a vine motif, but the peened copper berries remind me of Celastrus scandens, commonly called American bittersweet. Wild bittersweet was common where I grew up and when it bloomed, we would make wreathes of the […]

Abstract Art Nouveau Garden Screen, 2004

Abstract Art Nouveau Garden Screen, 2004Steel, copper68.5″ x 38.5″ x 3″Private Collection Every now and then a piece surprises you, and that can be the best feeling in the world. This garden screen is one of those… Most of the time, I set out to achieve an effect or feeling and I know from the […]

MacIntosh Gate, 2004

MacIntosh Gate, 2004Steel48″ x 36″ x 2″Private Collection This is one of my all-time favorite improvisational fences. I found the antique gridwork in a local scrap yard and knew immediately what I wanted to do with it. Inspired by the designs of Charles Rennie MacIntosh, the addition of a frame and two small circular elements […]

My Real Job Is Being an Artist

De Wal, Aletta, M.Ed. My Real Job Is Being an Artist: How to Produce a Body of Signature Art and Build the Foundation of an Art Business. Los Altos, CA: Artist Career Training, 2015. Print.

The Compass Rose Sculptural Fire Pit

The Compass Rose features four layers of relief sculpture— The bowl itself, two layers of cut steel star designs, and hand made “clavos” (decorative bolts). The compass letters are cut out of the bowl so ire can show through them and so they will also project onto the ground.

The Columbia Paper, Aug 27, 2015

Old Glory made the front page of the Columbia Paper and gets a nice boxed feature on page 16. Mayer, Debby. “Take 20,000 Bottle Caps….” Columbia Paper 27 Aug. 2015, Vol 07, No. 34 ed.: 1+. Print.

ArtScene TV

Blauweiss, Stephen. “ArtScene TV Episode 9.” Chronogram Magazine, 1 Sept. 2015. Blauweiss, Stephen. “ArtScene TV Episode 9.” Upstater, 2 Sept. 2015.

Offrenda for Those Who Died on the Road, 1997

Offrenda for Those Who Died on the Road, 1997Mixed Media Installation84″ x 64″ x 31″Dismantled This altar was assembled for a Dia de los Muertes show at Jaqueline Ross Gallery. The central image above the table is wood, with slate carved into the shape of headstone; broken mirror, steel skeletal figures, flowers, a piece of […]

Carnaval, 1999

Carnaval, 1999 Wood, Steel, Stone & Mixed 25″ x 18″ x 4.75″ Private Collection The central figures in Carnaval are Butoh dancers, while behind them mask makers in Rio de Janeiro show their wares. In the far background, a steel mill. The petrified hearts encased in steel mesh are stones found in a highway median […]

Transmigration, 1995

Transmigration, 1995 Wood, Steel, bone & Mixed 17″ x 16.5″ x 3.75″ Private Collection Transmigration was the one of the first of the 2-D Nkisi & is still probably my favorite. The central figure is a Butoh dancer. The eye or sun above her is a close-up of a flower and above that are many […]

Bound Nkondi, 1997

Bound Nkondi, 1997Wood, Steel, Paper, Glass & Mixed19.5″ x 14.5″ x 3″Private Collection In addition to nails, Nkisi often have knotted rope, string or chains to bind or guide the spirits within. So this photo of a heavily tied statue on a loading dock was a natural place to start from in a 2D nkisi. […]

Prayer for the safe return of conscripts, 1999

Prayer for the safe return of conscripts, 1999Wood, Steel, Mirror & Mixed19.5″ x 41″ x 5.5″Private Collection The photo at the heart of this piece depicts chained men conscripted into military service. Various offerings are laid out to assist them in returning home. The small bone doll in the grave is both an ominous portent, […]

Rootworker, 1997

Rootworker, 1997Wood, Paint, Pastel & Mixed9.5″ x 20.75″ x 4″Collection: The Artist The portrait was done in chalk, conté & acrylic worked over a xerox of a photo taken by Sergei Eisentstein in Mexico. Nails adorn the figure as in an minkisi sculpture. The tarred knife was found on a roof in Ypsilanti, MI and […]

Medicine Nkondi, 1997

Medicine Nkondi, 1997Wood, Steel, Glass & Mixed12.75″ x 8.5″ x 4.5″Private Collection It’s difficult to see in the photo, but the figure in this piece is a transparency mounted below glass. The face is a shell cabochon I carved attached above the surface of the glass. The numbered keys from an adding machine are a […]

Underground, 1999

Underground, 1999Wood, Steel, Stone & Mixed27.5″ x 17.5″ x 6″Available The face in the top half is carved from roofing slate. The metal to the left is the running board of an ambulance found in Ypsilanti, MI. Mojo jars hang as medicines, covered in cloth bags and clay. The nails surrounding the root evoke minkisi […]

Hunter Nkondi, 1997

Hunter Nkondi, 1997 Wood, Steel, Bone & Mixed 56″ x 25.5″ x 6.5″ Available The image is carved out of the paint— I painted the whole sheet of steel, and then scratched away the paint to reveal the figure. What doesn’t come through well in the photo is the rich texture that this process created. […]

Measuring the Moon at the Crossroads, 1996

Measuring the Moon at the Crossroads, 1996Wood, Steel, & Mixed18.25″ x 14.25″ x 5″Private Collection This was the first of the 2D Nkisi sculptures.

Nkisi Corazon, 2000

Nkisi Corazon, 2000Wood, Steel, Wax, Thorns & Mixed47″ x 30″ x 30″Destroyed This piece was part of a assemblage/mixed media mural project, approximately 50′ x 20′ that I worked on with Juan Angel Chavez & Chris Silva.

Straightjacket, 2001

Straightjacket, 2001Wood, Steel, Bottle caps & Mixed110″ x 32″ x 12″Private Collection Part of a series of large junk sculptures that I planned to guerrilla install in Chicago. The torso of this figure was a coin drawer. The head is a washboard and a cigar box.

Bride of Daly Plaza, 2001

Bride of Daly Plaza, 2001Wood, Steel, Twine, Glass & Mixed64″ x 40″ x 30″Private Collection Part of a series of large junk sculptures that I planned to guerrilla install in Chicago. The bride’s breasts came from an hourglass shaped lamp discovered in an Indiana junkyard. the kitchen stool that forms her skirt and the suspended […]

Sentry, 2001

Sentry, 2001Wood, Iron, & Mixed128″ x 32″ x 8″Private Collection Part of a series of large junk sculptures that I planned to guerrilla install in Chicago. This piece shows an increasing interest in abstract line work. The charred rifle was the victim of an arsonist who attempted to drive out my favorite junkyard. The head […]

Emptiness, 2001

Emptiness, 2001Wood, Steel, Glass, & Mixed64″ x 40″ x 30″Private Collection Part of a series of large junk sculptures that I planned to guerrilla install in Chicago. The blank stare of the mirror in Emptiness is a reminder that we all see ourselves in everything upon which we turn our gaze. The window invites the […]

Spill My Guts, 2001

Spill My Guts, 2001
cardboard, wood, glass & Mixed
85″ x 27″ x 30″
Destroyed

Zozo Throne, 2000

Zozo Throne, 2000Wood, clay, Bone & Mixed47″ x 30″ x 30″Collection: The Artist This piece was made for 3 1/2 Months of Sundays at the Whale, a show of work by The Ever So Secret Order of the Lamprey at the Hyde Park Art Center, Hyde Park, IL. The idea for this piece came when I […]

Nkisi Torso, 2001

    Nkisi Torso, 2001Cardboard, Nails, tape & Mixed41″ x 27″ x 12″Private Collection My original plan was to cast the torso in concrete and dye it with feric acid to resemble a solid cast iron nkisi. The patina on the cardboard was so nice though that I left it as is.

Fire Eating Bird’s Head, 1998

  Fire Eating Bird’s Head16.25″ x 16.75″ x 4.75″ 1998Wood, Steel & Mixed This was originally intended to be part of a larger piece based on Senufo bird sculptures. I liked it so much as an abstract form that I decided to let it stand alone, as is.

Bizango Altar, 2000

Bizango Altar, 2000
Wood, Steel, Bone, Wax & Mixed
Private Collection

Rooster Box, 1995

Rooster Box, 2000Wood, Steel, Egg & Mixed26.75″ x 18″ x 7.5″Private Collection This was one of my earliest pieces. Obsessed by Minkisi sculptures, I wanted to make my own. Rather than imitating them precisely, I experimented with different formats, such as 2D nkisi or, in this case, driving the nails inward. The egg, hanging in […]

Dark Angel of Hearts, 1998

Dark Angel of Hearts, 1998Wood, Steel25″ x 12″ x 4″Private Collection The tower is a weathered bed post. The figure is carved from scorched wood, with cut steel wings and a pulley for the head and neck. The box holds a heart shaped wind chime with bells.

Cock Shrine, 1999

Cock Shrine, 1999Wood, Steel, Glass & Mixed35″ x 39″ x 9″Collection: Marilyn Houlberg My favorite element in this altar is an antique jar of farm medicine labeled “Pik’r.” It claims to be a “distasteful blood-like preparation to aid in discouraging cannibalism in poultry.” Other elements include a postcard of a man menacing a fighting cock, […]

Ghost Hotel, 1997

Ghost Hotel, 1997Painted Wood, Glass, Steel & Mixed18.5″ x 21″ x 4.25″Private Collection A landscape of sorts with two towers and a bridge, populated by small odds & ends which suggest ghosty characters.

A Heart for Little Root, 1999

A Heart for Little Root, 1999Wood, Tin, Stone & Mixed18.5″ x 11.75″ x 8″Private Collection This was a Valentine’s Day gift made from a box, pressed tin ceiling, a root and a petrified heart stone from Pittsburgh, PA.

Heartbreak Hotel, 1998

Heartbreak Hotel, 1998Wood, Stones, Steel & Mixed12″ x 5″ x 4″Location Unknown Six snared hearts occupy a yellow hotel. The petrified hearts are stones found in a highway median in Pittsburgh. The nails and mesh reference minkisi figures.

Crib Death, 2001

Crib Death, 2001Wood, Steel, Bone & Mixed30″ x 7″ x 5″Available The torso is from an old player piano mechanism. The head is an air filter, probably from a lawnmower. The legs were the uprights of a set of andirons. The arms are jawbones from a deer.

Spicy, 1998

Spicy, 1998Wood, Peppers, Copper & Mixed22″ x 7″ x 4.5″Collection: The Lamprey Archives This was a piece made for The Ever So Secret Order of the Lamprey, based on the word “Spicy.” The Ever So Secret Order of the Lamprey was a group of Chicago artists and non-artists who met weekly, bringing some creative expression […]

At Peace With His Prayer, 1999

At Peace With His Prayer, 1999Wood, Steel, Bone & Mixed14″ x 3.5″ x 3.5″Collection: The Artist The body and head of this sculpture are made from the found object of a couch leg— the fabric was used as found. The base is a steel wheel. The mummified animal hands are nailed on in the condition […]

Bochio, 2000

Bochio, 2000
Bone, Steel, Mirror & Mixed
10.5″ x 3.25″ x 3.25″
Collection: The Artist

Hermaphroditic Knife Bochio, 1997

  Hermaphroditic Knife Bochio, 1997Wood, Steel, Beads & Mixed14.5″ x 3.25″ x 3.25″Collection: The Artist This figure is based on Fon Bochio sculptures. An emphasis on knotting and tying is characteristic of Bochio sculptures and suggests strength. Force and resistance are also characteristic. The figure was carved in a friends back yard while traveling… the […]

Statuette for Legba, 1996

  Statuette for Legba, 1996Wood, Steel & Mixed13.75″ x 4″ x 3.25″Collection: The Artist The body of this figure was found washed up on Orcas Island, north of Seattle. The colors are Legba’s colors, and he can also be identified by the walking stick and the hook arm with which he would carry his macoute, […]