Water Garden News, June 2011
Cover and “New Products.” Water Garden News June 2011: 30. Print.
Cover and “New Products.” Water Garden News June 2011: 30. Print.
“A Hot Mess.” Desperate Landscapes. DIY Network. 1 June 2011. Television.
“Grovewood Gallery: 4th Annual Sculpture for the Garden.” The Laurel of Ashville 1 June 2011. Print.
Wright, Richard. “Bowls of Fire.” Hearth & Home May 2011: 88. Web.
“Outdoor Products.” Hospitality Design May-June 2011: 82. Print.
“Asian Modern.” House Crashers. DIY Network. 2 Mar. 2011. Television.
MacLeod, Hugh. Evil Plans: Having Fun on the Road to World Domination . New York: Portfolio/Penguin, 2011. Print.
Rudd, Laurie. “The Changing Face of Fire.” Casual Living Feb. 2011
Masters, Amanda. “Living With the Elements” Santa Barbara Magazine Jan. 2011.
Powell, Anne-Marie. "Primal Heat." Financial Times 24 Sept. 2010. Print.
These two grates are a commission for an apartment building in Texas. Both are made from recycled/reused components (other than the steel for the frame). Both grates have kinetic elements that spin, turn or bobble. I love adding moving parts to fences, gates and grates to give them a more dynamic and interactive presence. Here […]
Tiki Beach is a newly launched premium quality beach facility on 7 Mile Beach, Grand Cayman Island offering visitors a full range of guest experiences including a restaurant, bar, and beach activities. With a dramatic Polynesian styled roof, and four Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pits, Tiki Beach has already become a navigational landmark for […]
The Southwest Porch, located near the southern end of the Fountain Terrace, offers all visitors the ambience and luxury usually available only to a few. Equipped with a wood fueled Zen Sculptural Fire Pit, Adirondack chairs, sofas, and couches typical of those found at expensive hotels and resorts, Southwest Airlines is giving all of New […]
Three Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pits adorn the roof top pool at Parc Blue. One of my favorite things about this fire pit installation is the blue glass used as a gravel below the fire pits— that rich field of blue really intensifies the orange of the flames! The fire pits are often lit […]
Some of the best photos I have of the Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pit have been shot at Rumfire, Waikiki Beach. The eight Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pits at the beach front patio are one of the hallmarks of the restaurant. Located in the heart of Waikiki, RumFire promises to be Oahu’s hippest […]
In The Papers. Time Warner Cable. NY1 News, New York City, NY, 15 Aug. 2010. Television.
Costantini, Fabrizio. “Suddenly, the World Is Their Market.” Ed. Phyllis Korkki. The New York Times 15 Aug. 2010. Print.
Hash, Robert. Modern Day Serf. LuLu, 2010. Print.
I had already done a custom firebowl for Graeme Cameron when he was part of Best Made Co., so when he left to form his own venture, Base Camp X, he asked me to do a new design featuring the BCX logo. We called it the Vulcan and you can order it exclusively from Base Camp X. As he writes on their site:
Fire Imps are playful, energetic and touchable sculptures scaled to fit any home. I love the way that the shapes and colors of the Fire Imps interact in a group— like a coral reef, a modern dance troupe, a forest of fall leaves, a party or festival.
Kessler, Jeffray N. "Chalice of Fire." Northern Express 3 May 2010: 10-11. Print.
Aspey, Brad. “John T. Unger’s Firebowls.” Interlochen Public Radio Arts and Culture Feature. WIAA, Interlochen, MI, 19 Feb. 2010. Radio.
When I first heard about the beautiful designer axes made by the guys at Best Made Co., it seemed like such a natural overlap with my firebowls that I promptly gave them a call. I had a great talk with Graeme Cameron and we were quickly on the path to being fast friends. Not long after, he approached me about doing a custom design firebowl for his place.
This stone and glass fountain with a Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pit as centerpiece in San Clemente, CA shows that you can have it all… a stunning water feature crowned by live fire. Day or night, fire brings a lively focus to this water feature, combining two of the most primal elements. Colored lights […]
Nelson, Christopher. “Scouting Report: Creative Spark” Charleston Magazine Jan. 2010. Print.
Drahos, Marta H. "Artist in Copyright Tug-of-War." Traverse City Record Eagle 13 Nov. 2009, Arts & Entertainment sec.: 1C-2C. Print.
McNatt, Cindy. "Midweek Home and Garden Update: Fire Pit by John T. Unger Doubles as a Focal Point." OC Register [Santa Ana, CA] 14 Oct. 2009. Print.
Gilbert, Colin, Dylan Gilbert, Eliabeth T. Gilbert, Gabriel Guzman, Rebecca J. Razo, Sharon Robinson, Amy Runyen, and David Schmidt. The Daily Book of Art: 365 readings that teach, inspire & entertain. Walter Foster, 2009. Print.
Johnson, Garth. 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse: Remake, Restyle, Recycle, Renew. Quarry Books, 2009. Print.
With free reign to do whatever I wanted around a fire theme, I decided to try an idea that I had been toying with in the back of my mind for quite some time… Cutting outlines of flame shapes withing the flame designs of the Great Bowl O’ Fire. The idea being that the fire would show through these cutouts and achieve an effect of depth that might more closely mimic a real fire.
Douglas, Nick. Twitter Wit: Brilliance in 140 Characters or Less. New York: IT Books, 2009. Print.
Rivadeneira, Ricardo. "El Aguacate." El Aguacate. BBC. Ecuador, 14 Aug. 2009. Radio Interview
Page, Peggy. “Fifty Years of the Art Fairs From Sixties euphoria to Aughts angst.” Ann Arbor Observer 14 July 2009. Print.
Mask for Landfill ArtStainless steel, Brass, Copper, Aluminum, Steel14″ x 14 x 3Collection: Landfill Art I was asked to contribute a piece of art to the Landfill Art project. Ken mailed me a hubcap, I altered it and mailed it back. The mask design is loosely based on Northwest Coast masks. Landfill Art is an […]
Jarema, Morgan. “Ignite Bonfire Season: Michigan-made firebowls.” The Grand Rapids Press 10 May 2009: K1.
Every few weeks I get an email asking me about how my Bottle Cap Mosaics are created… people want to know what they’re made of, how the caps are attached, where I get the caps for the mosaics and so on. I’ve created the video below to answer most of those questions. Probably the most […]
The Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pit at Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa, Osoyoos, BC is a rare 53 inch diameter fire pit. I’ve never been able to find a contemporary source for bowls that large but every couple years I come across one or two vintage oversized tanks to cut them from. The […]
Inspired by traditional mask designs from all over the world, each Face of Spades carving is made from 100% recycled materials— breathing new life into the atoms of the abandoned. Shovels retired after a life of hard labor are reborn as playful, intriguing masks— faces peering back as if astonished by their own renewed existence. […]
Bertozzi, Vanessa. “Ruler of the Earth (-Friendly Items)” Etsy Storque. 20 Apr. 2009.
Enos, Denise Bate. “A Sense of ‘Repurpose’.” Orlando Magazine June 2009: 52.
Croft, Jo. “Light a fire in that bowl” The National [Abu Dhabi] 28 Feb. 2009.
I had a chance to visit Club Westside, a health and fitness club in Houston, Texas on my way to SXSW, and photograph the Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pit that caps their fountain. Due to the rainy weather that day, it’s hard to see the water that forms flows down from the top, covering […]
Dale Ayers is an architect in Park City, Utah. He just sent me some amazing photos of his Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pit installed at his home in the Promontory development outside Park City. The fire bowl with gas burner is accessible from the deck, but what I really love is the way that […]
Nordgren, Mona R. "Grona Vagen – Uterum i framtiden." Rosie Outdoor Living October 2008: 11.
This lovely Houston courtyard is set up very nicely for outdoor living. A fountain for warm days, a Zen Sculptural Fire Pit for cooler days and evenings, functional seating and a grill for outdoor meals. I like the mosaic table which complements the pebble floor. The window box planters and other greenery pull the space […]
Sanderson, Vicky. “Bottlecap bounty.” The Toronto Star 30 Sept. 2008.
These twin Fiery Fleur-de-Lis 37 inch Sculptural Fire pits flanking an infinity pool over Lake Okanagan in British Columbia were a commissioned design. I worked together with the client to come up with the drawings and scale, and when they were done, we were both so pleased with how they turned out that I asked […]
Mark in Watsonville, CA wanted a modified King Isosceles Sculptural Firebowl with a smooth undulating edge and reached out about ordering a custom 41 inch diameter firebowl.
Boyarsky, Andrea. "Keep the home fires burning." Staten Island Advance 3 Sept. 2008.
Mosaic Fish For Limelight Lodge Swimming Pool, 2008
Sicis glass, glass eyes, glass tile
Dimensions variable
Commission
Check out the before and after photos of this project which flanks a waterfall with two Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pits. The finished yard is a gorgeous space with a large waterfall at the head of the pool area and several smaller streams of water arcing into the pool from the sides. Flower containers, […]
Condren, Debra. “Check out my Web Site.” Metro New York, Metro Boston, Metro Philadelphia, 28 July 2008: 14.
Hulsbosch, Marianne, Alan Guihot, Bronwen Wade-Leeuwen, Paul Fitzgerald, and Ian Randall. Cambridge Senior Visual Arts. Stage 6. Cambridge University Press, 2008. Print.
Kessler, Jeffray. “Man of Steel.” Antrim County News 23 July 2008: 3A.
“Red Hot & Green: Tropical Getaway.” Red Hot & Green. HGTV. 14 July 2008.
Don and Sue bought their Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pit from Goldner Walsch Nursery. They were so taken with it that they looked me up online and wrote to tell me how much they liked it. They wrote: We just had to email and tell you how much we LOVE the new fire pit […]
Mary Abe at Garden Gate Landscaping has won an award for her project “A Frame for Lush Scenery” which features a custom firebowl I collaborated on and built.
Artish. “A Dude’s Perspective: Men Who Craft.” The Storque 30 May 2008. 30 May 2008
Keene, Jarret. "The Great Wide Open: Can the Internet and Open-Source Technology Expand the Limits of Public Art?" Public Art Review Spring-Summer 2008: 34-36.
My Aloha Vibe: Rumfire, Sheraton Waikiki. Dir. Kimee Balmilero. Perf. Kimee Balmilero. 2008. My Aloha Vibe.
The best thing that ever happened to me was the night an angry, messed up cab driver pulled me into the back room of a 24 hour diner and held a huge handgun to my head for over ten minutes, all the while describing in intricately fetishistic detail exactly what would happen when he pulled […]
"How Do You Want to Share Your Passion? “Microsoft Home Magazine” 19 Mar. 2008.
Wizard Academy has two of my Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pits at their Austin, Texas campus. Above is the standard 37 inch size that I delivered on a trip to Austin for SXSW. I enjoyed meeting Roy Williams and touring the retreat including the Tower and Chapel Dulcinea. Wizard Academy exists to teach business […]
Lyons, Emily. “Best of Outside Spaces.” Washington Spaces Magazine Spring 2008.
“Artist John T. Unger Makes Every Day Earth Day.” Pages Magazine 26 Feb. 2008: 1.
Moniz, Melissa. “Igniting Waikiki.” Hawaii News 8 Feb. 2008, Weekend Coverstory ed.
“Curio: Our Favorite Trickets and Treasures.” Craft Magazine, vol 6, 5 Feb. 2008: 22.
Stanfield, Alyson B. I’d Rather Be in the Studio! Pentas Press, 2008.
A while back I posted an email I’d gotten from Ben in Florida, who ordered a customized version of the Great Bowl O Fire. He sent me a great photo of it recently.
My favorite thing about the New York City rooftop patio where this Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pit sits, is the life guard’s chair that looks over the south end of Manhattan! Man, if I had a chair like that, with a view like that, you’d never get me out of it. Sadly, you […]
I got a cool photo and note in the mail a while back… long enough ago that I really should have posted it for halloween. In case you can’t make out the handwriting, it says “Under the right conditions, the Great Bowl O Fire conjures up ghosts.”
Diebolt, Judy, ed. “Welcom Mat.” Detroit News 29 Dec. 2007, sec. H: 3.
I got an email this morning from Karin and Keith in Springfield, Virginia about their new Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pit (formerly called “The Great Bowl O’ Fire”). It was so sweet and beautiful it made me all misty-eyed. I get a lot of great feedback, but I rarely get such a detailed and […]
Cooper, Jeanne. "Holiday Happenings and News of the Islands." San Francisco Chronicle 6 Dec. 2007, sec. E: 2.
These dancing devils were adapted from a series of medieval block prints… although they also remind me of Indonesian shadow puppets. Especially because of the way that they cast lively dancing shadows when you build a fire in the firepit. As the flames leap, so do the shadows! How cool is that?
“Open Studio: Living Michiana .” Q Television Network. QTN, Burbank, CA.
Surles, Joy. “Designed for Permanence: John T. Unger’s Lasting Creations.” Tattoos for Men Nov. 2007: 32-35.
Buckingham, Bill. Mosaic Art 2007 Yearbook. DVD.
Twardowski, Lynda. “Up North Gifts.” Traverse Magazine Nov. 2007: h17.
People love to tell stories around a fire… so it made sense to me to create some narrative fire pits that tell stories themselves. And what better story to begin with than the story of how mankind was given fire?
Risdahl, Aliza. Streetwise ECommerce. Avon, MA: Adams Media Corporation, 2007. 65.
“Imaginative Unger At Alden Art Show.” Elk Rapids News 23 Aug. 2007: 23.
Podcast Interview with Gary Connolly. Daily Confection- She Unlimited. 11 Sep. 2007.
The Great Bowl O Fire is a great way to keep the ashes and coals out of your beach sand! Thanks for the photos, Cathy.
Wow! Thanks for the great photos, Carl! That’s some view.
Bob Struber sent in a few awesome photos of his Great Bowl O Fire! This one was my favorite. Bob found me on the web, but decided to visit the studio to pick up his Bowl… It’s cool when I get to meet and talk to the people who order the bowls.
Ted sent in these photos of his Great Bowl O Fire on a cliffside patio at sunset. Nice!
Kidwell, Kathy. “Peripheral Vision.” Chicago Home Improvement Aug. 2007: 21.
Blakeney, Justina. “Summer Re-Discovered.” VenusZine Summer 2007: 71.
Sullivan, Catey. “Art, Events Blooming on Harrison Street.” OakPark-Leaves (Sun Times News Group) 16 May 2007, sec. B: 3.
Ascension Church celebrates the Service of the Light with a Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pit holding the Paschal Fire. The very first Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pit I ever made went to Ridge Art Gallery. When Laurie emailed to tell me she had sold it to the Archdiocese of Chicago, I just […]
The Waves O’ Glory Brazier commissioned by Rev. J. Brian Ponder,chaplain and assistant rector, The Episcopal Canterbury Fellowship atMississippi State University for use in their Easter Vigil. Rev. J. Brian Ponder sent me some beautiful photos of the Easter Vigil this year at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection. I would have liked to have […]
Math: Grade 4, State of California. 1st ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. 260.
Johnny Evers Mosaic Portrait, 2006vitreous glass mosaic, steel frame.48″ H x 60″ W x 1.5″ DCommission This portrait of Johnny Evers is the centerpiece of a triptych commemorating “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon,” also known as “Tinker to Evers to Chance.” Below are a few pictures from the installation of the piece. The first shows baseball club […]
The brazier above is a great example of how a commissioned piece can turn out. This photo is not the piece I did for the client, but a second one I did in the same style. I’ve thought about doing a wave motif on the firebowls or braziers, so I was pleased when I got […]
Cammel, Ron. “Firepits are the Hottest Accessory.” Grand Gardens Apr. 2007: 1, 6.
I’m glad I had a chance to visit the Brick Oven Courtyard Grille in Topeka, KS on a trip in 2009. We arrived before serving hours, but the staff was kind enough to turn on the restaurant’s three Phoenix + Flames Sculptural Fire Pits so we could shoot some photos. The Sculptural Fire Pits I […]
Rainbow Trout Glass Mosaic, 2006Sicis Iridium glass tile, glass taxidermy eye, copper, Hardibacker substrate9″ H x 21.25″ W x 1.5″ Most of the tile used on this mosaic is from the Iridium line of glass from Sicis. As the light or viewing angle changes, the iridescent surface of the tile closely resembles the scales of […]
Brook Trout Mosaic No. 1, 2006: Dimensions: 11″ high x 19″ wide x 1.5″ deep. Materials: Sicis Iridium glass tile, glass taxidermy eye, copper. Mosaic is set with mortar on a Hardibacker substrate over plywood and finished around the edges with copper banding.
Bluegill Mosaic, 2005
Sicis Iridium glass tile, glass taxidermy eye, copper.
11″ H x 17.5″ W x 1.5″ D