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.”
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 […]
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.
Ted sent in these photos of his Great Bowl O Fire on a cliffside patio at sunset. Nice!
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.
Wow! Thanks for the great photos, Carl! That’s some view.
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.
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, 2002glass tile, glass eye, copper, Wonderboard substrate on plywood.27.5″ H x 16.5″ W x 1.5″ DCommission Rainbow Trout Commissioned by Jeff Ott for his office at Warner, Norcross & Judd. The iridescent glass tiles create a highly realistic shimmer on the surface of the fish.
Bluegill Mosaic, 2005
Sicis Iridium glass tile, glass taxidermy eye, copper.
11″ H x 17.5″ W x 1.5″ D
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.
Lake Trout Mosaic, 2006Sicis Iridium glass tile, glass taxidermy eye, copper, Hardibacker substrate.11″ H x 18.5″ W x 1.5″ DPrivate Collection My daughter Mya did so well last summer helping me with mosaic that this year I had her create a whole line of fish. She got to do the fun parts—laying the tile and […]
Bluegill Mosaic No. 2, 2006Sicis Iridium glass tile, glass taxidermy eye, copper.11 x 17.5 x 1.5 in My daughter Mya did so well last summer helping me with mosaic that this year I had her create a whole line of fish. She got to do the fun parts—laying the tile and working out the gradients […]
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. 2, 2006Sicis Iridium glass tile, glass taxidermy eye, copper, Hardibacker substrate.11″ H x 19″ W x 1.5″ D 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 […]
DisneyQuest Chicago: Mosaic Mural and Sculpture, 2005
Plastic rhinestone mosaic
Commission
The Friendly Gesture, 1999 ceramic tile, slate, plywood substrate. 24″ x 48″ x 17″ high Private Collection The design for this table came from an antique matchbook. The tile is a mix of ceramic and porcelain. The cigars I carved from slate.
Ballad of the Dragon, 1999ceramic tile, glass, plywood substrate.24″ x 48″ x 17″ highCommission The design for this table was adapted from a metal engraving by José Guadalupe Posada. The eye is a photo pasted behind a Xerox copier lense. Most of my early mosaics were based on old 4 color ads and posters. The […]
Cocktail Girls, 1999ceramic tile, glass, plywood substrate.24″ x 48″ x 17″ highPrivate Collection The design for this table came from an antique matchbook… Most of my early mosaics were based on old 4 color ads and posters. The limited colors of tile I was using seemed well suited to matching that style, and as a […]
La Femme Astrale, 1999ceramic tile, plywood substrate.24″ x 48″ x 17″ highStolen, whereabouts unknown The design for this table was adapted from a 19th Century French poster for a floating woman act.… This is one of a set of four tables I did in collaboration with Neil Verplank. The orange background tile is really nice […]
This table was commissioned by Angelo at Casa Loca in Chicago. The original design is from the Mexican Loteria deck, a traditional game similar to Bingo.
Vévé for Erzuli Mosaic Table, 2003vitreous glass, glass gems, steel table.30″ Tall x 42″ x 42″Commission Laurie Beasley of Ridge Art commissioned this table, featuring a version of the Vévé for Erzulie, the Haitian goddess (Lwa) of love. My mosaic of the Vévé for Erzuli was also later used in the cover design of Envisioning […]
When my dad was young he had a series of pet crows, all named Peter, and Peter was the hero of my bedtime stories.
This piece and the Elvis Is Love mirror were created for a show of all-Elvis art at Fleur Fine Art in Chicago.
This piece and the What Would Elvis Do? mirror were created for a show of all-Elvis art at Fleur Fine Art in Chicago.
My neighbor across the street lives in what was once the old train station, sometime around the turn of the century. He commissioned this piece for the exterior of his home. This was actually the most difficult mosaic I’ve done to date.
Community Harmony Through Song & Play Panel 3 In the park a band plays, a man and woman dance, a child jumps to catch the notes in the air…. A man sells balloons and children get sno-cones from a pushcart vendor, a common sight in North Lawndale…. Community Harmony Through Song & Play: panel 3, 2001: ceramic tile on wood substrate 66″ x 48″ x 2″ One of three mosaics created for Manly Career Academy High School in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. Assisted by Caswell James and advised by veteran muralist Nina Smoot-Cain, I worked with a team of nine community youths to design and produce three mosaic panels totaling 66 sqare feet. Commission sponsored by Chicago Public Art Group with support from Gallery 37 and the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development.
Community Harmony Through Song & Play, Panel 2: Arts and History, 2001Ceramic mosaic on wood substrate.66″ H x 48″ W x 2″ DPublic Art Commission An African horn player blows his horn from the deep past, communicating with the sax man in the first panel. Behind him a mask hangs like the sun in the […]
Community Harmony Through Song & Play, Panel 1: Music, 2001Ceramic mosaic on wood substrate.66″ H x 48″ W x 2″ DPublic Art Commission Panel 1 portrays musical styles which have been cornerstones of the African American culture and experience. The sax man probably plays jazz or blues. The banjo player picks out a country blues […]
One of four mosaics commissioned by Eson Chan, Art Director at Northeastern University Magazine,to illustrate an article about dolphin watching off the coast of Spain.
What I love most about this piece is the variety of interpretations I’ve heard— from holding up the weight of the worlds garbage, to being crushed by alcoholism, to a desire to drink in the entire world.
La Siren With her Italian glass top and bottle cap tail, LaSiren reflects not just light but a sense of humor and playfulness. Private collection.
Christy MacLear commissioned this piece for her gallery, Fleur Fine Art, because people kept asking her to sell the mermaid from her private collection and she couldn’t bring herself to part with it. She gave me “total artistic freedom” to create any bottle cap mermaid I wanted to and I took that ball and ran with it. Unfortunately, this is currently the best photo I have, but I will replace it as soon as possible with one showing the mermaid straight-on. in the meantime, click here for a close-up of her face and hair.
Shiny Happy Puppy: A Modern Take On An Ancient Mosaic When I first saw an image of this “beware of dog” mosaic from Ancient Rome, I immediately fell in love with it…. If you compare the flow of tile where the dog’s right shoulder and rear leg meet the body, I think you’ll agree that they look a little better than the original mosaic…. More importantly, I kind of feel like the world is far too full of warnings and dire threats these days and I just don’t want to contribute to the culture of fear even on a minor level…. This is the kind of thing that makes being an artist so much fun really— you start out with a simple idea like recreating an ancient door mat, and by the time you’re half-way through you’re doing amateur cultural analysis based on how the words available to a culture influence what and how they can think…. One guy had said something to the effect that he really didn’t care one way or the other about the war, the economy or stem cells, but he really wished that they would let him shoot the endangered wolves that were eating his cattle.
The mosaic bottles shown here are a series completed between 1999–2002. They are inspired by the sequined libation bottles of Haitian Vodou, a standard feature of Vodou altars traditionally used in ceremony to serve rum to the spirits. Libation bottles are often much more plain than the ceremonial flags which have become one of Haiti’s […]
Mud’s Marker, 2001Concrete, Ceramic tile12.5″ H x 12″ W x 4″ DCommission I made the headstone above for Mud, a friend’s cat who had sadly used up it’s allotment of nine lives. The marker has been through five long winters in Michigan with no sign of wear.
The house is made from an old refrigerator drawer and the rest is recycled steel plate. The wind from the wolf’s mouth is copper plated welding rod. The plants are scrap left over from cutting out the flames on the Firebird Grill.
Three Billy Goats Gruff was the first drawing my daughter Mya did for our collaborative series of narrative sculptures.
The Galaxy Series are Modernist inspired, abstract wind vanes made from recycled steel.
Galaxy No. 2, 2004 Steel 82″ x 82″ x 14″ Collection: Kathleen Glynn & Michael Moore. The Galaxy Series of sculptures is inspired in part by David Smith’s sculptures Australia and Royal Bird. But I also enjoyed the comment left by Craig Ross when I first posted images of the piece, which he called “Souped-up and Mondrian reminiscent.”
Galaxy No. 3, 2005
recycled steel
139 H x 133 W x 14 in at the base
Grasschopper Wind Vane, 2004
Steel, cast iron, copper
60″ H x 40″ W x 20″ D
Private Collection
Cycling Salamander Windvane, a kinetic sculpture windvane commissioned in 2004
The better part of two 1/4 mile spools of wire went into making this fountain.
Swiss Army Horse, 2000
Recycled steel, grout
dimensions variable
Collection: Marilyn Houlberg
The figures below are one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by, and built around, stone shapes that catch my eye from the cast-away pile at a local stone vendor’s. Because the stone is polished on one side only, the back is decorated with copper.
Arbor Vitae reminds me of music in some ways, referencing both notes on a page and sort of twining piano keys. It also makes me think of a storm, or vortex, or swirling smoke. But the breakthrough idea came when I saw it as a sheltering tree, and that sort of pointed me in another direction.
Odysseus lashed himself to the mast of his ship to avoid being seduced by the cries of the sirens into grounding on the shoals of a reef. This sculpture suggests all the elements of that myth to me… from some angles it resembles a ship leaning into a strong wind, from others, the bust of a head with large lips and a strong, heroic nose.
When I made this piece, I saw it as an animal running at full tilt, turning sharply mid-run on two legs. I love the way the tail whips around through the air and the head stretches outward, still thrust in the original direction.
Scrapyard Abstract No. 8 (Houses and Weather), 2006recycled steel14 x 10 x 3 in Although the steel in this sculpture was crushed, compacted and sheared intentionally, by a machine at the junk yard, it reminds me of what you see when heavy weather tears through a trailer park. The jagged piece in the center resembles […]
The Dancer Sculptures come in two styles: the powder coat enamel version shown here and a steel and copper version.
In creating these sculptures, I try to capture the essential gesture so precisely that the mind completes the movement—making a still image appear to be in motion. My goal is to create engaging characters which anyone can relate to and enjoy
The Dancer Sculptures come in two styles: the steel and copper version shown here and a powder coat enamel version.
Abstract Bull, State 11. 2005. Steel. Dimensions variable. Private Collection Picasso has had a quiet, but huge influence on my fences and sculpture. Whatever else you may choose to say about the man, he had a knack for drafting the perfect line and I’ve aspired to match him on that when drawing my Acrobats and […]
These three sculptures are early examples of sculpture based on line art drawings. The Guardian sculpture is one of the few I’ve done which combines lines and planes.
The most interesting part of this half of the fence design (installed on Cermak, around the corner from part one) is that several of the elements are kinetic and can be moved or repositioned.
A collaboration with Kenneth Morrison. He originated the concept and sketched a rough layout for overall project. I designed and fabricated indivdual panels. The choice of which panels went together was his. It was a little like an enormous steel version of the exquisite corpse game played by the Surrealists…in which players take turns adding to a drawing without seeing the parts drawn by the last player.
Having seen pictures of my Acrobat Fence, my friends Howie and JoAnn approached me to design four sections of fence to enclose a round garden at their Evanston, Illinois residence. Together, they scripted a narrative telling the story of their lives together in four acts: meeting and falling in love; traveling Asia; their first child, Gabriel; and their second child, Julian.
City Gates, commissioned by Bob Racky for his offices at 4022 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, features two pairs of gates based on maps of the Chicago area. The south gates show Riverside, IL and feature urban planning by Frederic Law Olmstead in the lower left corner. It’s not on every project that an ironworker gets to “quote” the designer of Central Park!
The floral pattern in these fences was designed to complement clerestory windows overlooking the courtyard where they are installed. Incorporating natural slate, iridescent glass mosaic tile and copper, this project is the culmination of techniques I have been developing over the past few years.
E. Jones wanted burglar bars for her ground floor windows, but she didn’t want to feel like she was in prison when she looked through them.
Window Grilles, 2005:steel, 20.75″ H x 20″ W x .25″ DPrivate Collection This pair of window grates was created from a sheet of scrap steel left over after a factory cut blanks for what might have been rotating blades for a mower. I included a larger image of a single grate because I feel the […]
The gates shown here are largely created from various recycled elements. They were part of a larger project in Chicago, IL by Kenneth Morrison on which I collaborated.
These graceful figures suggest both the motion of their dance and the music that moves them. The obvious joy of the figures is engaging— but their simplicity is what really captivates us. We can easily see ourselves, someone we know, or the person we might like to be in this dance.
The Mosaics: Music | History | Peace in the Park Contents: Credits | The Design Process | Creating the mosaics | The Youth Artists Credits Lead Artist: John UngerAssistant Artist: Caswell JamesMentor: Nina Smoot-Cain With Youth Artists: Sheena Barlow, DeJuan Birge, Katheris Ellis, Ashley Harvey, Kenyetta Howard, Ernest Johnson, Deanna McElroy, Tiana Solid, Andrew Section […]
While I was in Chicago, I delivered the finished mosaic of Frank Chance that Mya and I worked on this summer. This is the second of a tryptich featuring portraits of Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance.
The Amazing Devil Girl— She Whirls!, 2000ceramic mosaic, plywood, steel, copper, bronze66.6″ H x 48″ W x 13″ D I’m pretty sure I’m the only mosaic artist who’s ever made a wind powered kinetic mosaic sculpture… The wind vane sculpture shown above is the second of two which I’ve made. The original was done […]
For a long time, my most well-know work was the Devil Girl tile mosaic windvane. I felt like she needed an angelic sister to balance the family. So last winter while the snow piled up to the eves of my studio I created this sleeping angel. I knew exactly what pose I wanted, but, not having access to a live model I had to search the web for an image to work from.
Anima Sola/Marinette Altar, 2004Steel, cast iron, vitreous glass mosaic, slate,antique mirror, copper, bronze76″ H x 31″ W x 10″ DPrivate collection I’ve always wanted to do a mosaic of the image of Anima Sola, or “The Lost Soul.” It’s such a powerful image… When my friend Marilyn Houlberg told me she was organizing a museum […]
Erastes + Eromenos Marble Mosaic, 2005Marble mosaic on Durock substrate. Steel frame.62″ x 38″ x 2″ D The original vase painting this mosaic is based on has been dated approximately 500 BC. It depicts an older lover (erastes) and his beloved youth (eromenos) making love surrounded by egg-like pillows. I’ve always been fascinated with the […]
The city of Lincoln City, OR commissioned this Fish and a 41 inch Waves O’ Fire Sculptural Firebowl as public art. I was a Featured Artist at the Art Sea Festival and gave a live demonstration of creating a Bottle Cap Mosaic.
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 54, 2007plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled bronze sheet, copper nails26″ x 55.5″ x 1.5″ This bottle cap mosaic fish was a commission to recreate as closely as possible Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 4 and No. 42. A combination of caps, Sierra Nevada, Stewarts Ginger Beer, Dos Equis and Becks went […]
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 53, 2011plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails20″ x 50″ x 1.5″ This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from Corona and Corona Light bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from recycled roofing copper. The eye is a jar lid. All the caps are partially crimped but […]
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 52, 2011plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled car body, copper nails20″ x 50″ x 1.5″ This fish is made from Blue Moon, Maine Root and Michelob Ultra bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from vintage car metal from the 60’s or 70’s. The eye is a jar lid with […]
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 51, 2010plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled car body, copper nails20″ x 50″ x 1.5″ This bottle cap fish mosaic was a recent commission based on Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 47. I love the fins, which were cut from an old Chevy van of some kind… the grooves in the […]
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 50, 2011plywood, primer, bottle caps, spatula, dust pan, antique rake, copper nails20″ x 55.5″ x 1.5″ Commission loosely based on Fish numbers 4 and 5. This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from Heineken and Oberon bottle caps. The fins are cut from a steel dust pan with corrugated sides. The […]
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 49, 2009plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails20″ x 50″ x 1.5″ This Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish is made with Budweiser and Budweiser Select caps. This was commissioned for a 50th birthday gift, and the client specifically requested BudWeiser caps. The fins and tale are cut from an old […]
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 48, 2008plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails12″ x 40″ x 1.5″ This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from a mix of blue bottle caps with a white face made of Becks caps. The fins and tale are cut from recycled roofing copper. The eye is a […]
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 47, 2008plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled car body, copper nails20″ x 50″ x 1.5″ This fish is made from Heineken, Bud Light and Becks bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from vintage car metal from the 60’s or 70’s. The eye is a jar lid with a bottle […]
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 26, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled vintage car steel, copper nails12″ x 40″ x 1.5″ This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from two different styles of Bud Light bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from vintage car metal from the 60’s or 70’s. All the caps are partially […]
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 45, 2008plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails20″ x 50″ x 1.5″ This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from Michelob and Labatts bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from recycled roofing copper. The eye is a jar lid. All the caps are partially crimped but not […]
