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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...
Blakemore, Erin. “Artist’s Stone Mosaics Are Life-Size Homages to Renaissance Anatomist.” Washington Post , 22 Aug. 2022. ...
Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History. Presented by Stephen Fry, BBC One, 27 Feb. 2022. ...
Marble Mosaic of Table 44 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2020 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...
Marble Mosaic of Table 26 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2021 Marble, 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...
Marble Mosaic of Table 45 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2020 Marble, 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:...
Marble Mosaic of Table 43 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2020 Marble, 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:...
Marble Mosaic of Table 19 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2019 Marble, 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...
Marble Mosaic of Table 33 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2019 Marble, 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...
Marble Mosaic of Table 38 of Eustachi’s Tabulae Anatomicae, 2019 Marble, 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...
Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad, by Austin Kleon, Workman, 2019. Print. pp. 148–152....
“Embracing Wild Color.” Fine Gardening Magazine, 7 Mar. 2019....
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. ...
Dorn, Lori. “Life Sized Mosaic Recreations of 16th Century Anatomical Engravings by Bartolomeo Eustachi.” Laughing Squid, 8 Jan. 2019....
2018 Kottke, Jason. “Life-Size Stone Mosaics Based on 16th-Century Anatomical Drawings.” Kottke.org, 18 Dec. 2018....
Doctorow, Cory. “Kickstarting Mosaics Made from Precious Stones and Marble That Replicate 16th-Century Anatomical Drawings.” Boing Boing, 17 Dec. 2018....
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...
Using marble, stone and precious gems I am creating a series of 12 mosaics that replicate Bartolomeo Eustachi’s 16th Century anatomical engravings. As each mosaic is finished, it is added to the bottom of this page. Scroll down to see large photos of the finished...
Marble Mosaic of Table 21 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae, 2018 Marble, 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...
Marble Mosaic of Table 23 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae, 2018 Marble, 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...
Marble Mosaic of Table 28 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae, 2018 Marble, 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...
Marble Mosaic of Table 30 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae, 2017 Marble, 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...
Marble Mosaic of Table 31 of Eustachi’s Tabulae anatomicae, 2017 Marble, 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...
Magen David mosaic for The New Reform Congregation Kadima, 2018 Sicis 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...
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...
Loughrey, Janet. “Bright Magic.” Small Gardens, 2018, pp. 1, 18–25....
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, 2017 Vitreous glass, bottle caps, stone, copper, 15.65 carat emerald, glass eyes, plywood and Hardiebacker substrate 60″ H x 36″ W x 1.5″ D Commissioned by the American Museum of Natural History La Siren III was commissioned by the American Museum of Natural History for the...
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...
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...
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. ...
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...
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....
This lantern was inspired more by the materials at hand than by any specific historic style of mask. ...
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....
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....
This lantern is a reworking of an Northwest Coast Native American mask design I previously used in my Face of Spades 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....
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 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. ...
This lantern is loosely based on Walu and Kanaga masks carved in wood by the Dogn people of Mali. ...
This lantern is my freehand drawing impression of a Spanish fighting bull. From his expression, you can see that the matador is in trouble! ...
This lantern is based on an African mask design and hand cut from a recycled steel oxygen tank....
Larson, Jamie. “Hudson Sculptor John T. Unger Creates Great Bowls Of Fire.” Rural Intelligence, 14 Dec. 2015....
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....
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...
A sculptural steel steel light fixture in the visage of Fudu Myoo the Wisdom King. ...
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...
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 Steel and Copper Trellis, 2004 Steel, Copper 36" 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...
Abstract Art Nouveau Garden Screen, 2004 Steel, copper 68.5" 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...
MacIntosh Gate, 2004 Steel 48" 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...
"Material." AHA! A House For Arts. PBS. WMHT, Troy, NY, 9 Sept. 2015. Television. ...
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....
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....
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 Mixed Media Installation 84" 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;...
Daily Confection just posted a really fun phone interview I did with Gary Connolly. We discussed a broad set of topics including art, business, marketing, the ways that blogging and the web in general have impacted my work as an artist and 30 foot...
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...
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...
Bound Nkondi, 1997 Wood, Steel, Paper, Glass & Mixed 19.5" 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...
Prayer for the safe return of conscripts, 1999 Wood, Steel, Mirror & Mixed 19.5" 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...
Rootworker, 1997 Wood, Paint, Pastel & Mixed 9.5" 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...
Medicine Nkondi, 1997 Wood, Steel, Glass & Mixed 12.75" 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....
Underground, 1999 Wood, Steel, Stone & Mixed 27.5" 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...
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...
Measuring the Moon at the Crossroads, 1996 Wood, Steel, & Mixed 18.25" x 14.25" x 5" Private Collection This was the first of the 2D Nkisi sculptures....
Nkisi Corazon, 2000 Wood, Steel, Wax, Thorns & Mixed 47" 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 Wood, Steel, Bottle caps & Mixed 110" 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 Wood, Steel, Twine, Glass & Mixed 64" 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...
Sentry, 2001 Wood, Iron, & Mixed 128" 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...
Emptiness, 2001 Wood, Steel, Glass, & Mixed 64" 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...
Spill My Guts, 2001 cardboard, wood, glass & Mixed 85" x 27" x 30" Destroyed...
Zozo Throne, 2000 Wood, clay, Bone & Mixed 47" 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,...
Nkisi Torso, 2001 Cardboard, Nails, tape & Mixed 41" 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...
Crocodile Mask, 1999 Wood & Mixed 46.5" 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...
Fire Eating Bird's Head 16.25" x 16.75" x 4.75" 1998 Wood, 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...
Mask created for Redmoon Theater's Winter Pageant, 2000 Steel, Wood, Wool 14" x 12" x 32" Collection: The Artist...
Bizango Altar, 2000 Wood, Steel, Bone, Wax & Mixed Private Collection...
Rooster Box, 2000 Wood, Steel, Egg & Mixed 26.75" 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...
Dark Angel of Hearts, 1998 Wood, Steel 25" 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...
Cock Shrine, 1999 Wood, Steel, Glass & Mixed 35" 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...
Ghost Hotel, 1997 Painted Wood, Glass, Steel & Mixed 18.5" 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 Wood, Tin, Stone & Mixed 18.5" 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 Wood, Stones, Steel & Mixed 12" 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 Wood, Steel, Bone & Mixed 30" 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...
Spicy, 1998 Wood, Peppers, Copper & Mixed 22" 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...
At Peace With His Prayer, 1999 Wood, Steel, Bone & Mixed 14" 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...
Bochio, 2000 Bone, Steel, Mirror & Mixed 10.5" x 3.25" x 3.25" Collection: The Artist...
Hermaphroditic Knife Bochio, 1997 Wood, Steel, Beads & Mixed 14.5" 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...
Statuette for Legba, 1996 Wood, Steel & Mixed 13.75" 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...
He Eats Bad Dreams, 1997 Wood, Steel & Mixed 14.5" x 11.5" x 3" Private Collection The body of this figure is made from a weathered post from a bed frame. His arms are bones. His chest is open so that he can take bad dreams directly into his...
Ghede Libation Bottle, 1997 Ceramic, Leather, Beads & Mixed 12" 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...
Bizango Bottle, 1998 Glass, Clay, Bone & Mixed 13" x 4" x 5" Available An early interpretation of Haitian libation bottles. The bottle is wrapped in paper covered with gris gris dirt. The spiked steel panel is part of an old steamer trunk. Clay studs ring the top of...
Victory, 1998 Bottle, Napalm, Paper & Mixed 16" x 3" x 3" Collection: Lamprey Archives The heart and skull are cut from the Mexican Loteria deck. The bottle is wrapped in paper, steel mesh and twine. A diamond of mirror is held by the twine. The bottle is filled...
He's Got the Book of Circles, 1997 Wood, Copper, Steel, Bone 22" x 5.75" x 8.25" Available...
Construction, 1998 Wood, Iron & Mixed 10" x 3.5" x 3" Available This piece pays homage to Russian Constructivism in it's use of abstract forms and machine parts. the figure suggests a worker about to spring into action. The steel making up the head and torso is a doorknob...
Cat figure, 1995 Wood, Steel, Bone & Mixed 25.25" x 4" x 5.75" Available...
Root Doll No. 3, 1999 Wood, Bone & Mixed 12" x 6" x 6" Private Collection The Root Doll series was inspired by New Orleans hoodoo dolls....
Root doll, 1997 Wood, Twine, Steel & Mixed 12" x 10" x 3" Private Collection The Root Doll series was inspired by New Orleans hoodoo dolls. This was the first one, which I put together in a friend's back yard, while traveling....
Snakedance on Two feet, 1997 Wood, Bone, Steel 36" x 21.75" x 11.75" Private Collection I found this root somewhere on the California coast while on a long road trip. The iron bands were salvaged from the strapping on a steamer trunk. The tail is steel rod....
Iron Fetish No. 4, 1997 Steel, Bone, Wood & Mixed 7" x 3.25" x 3" Private Collection The body of the figure is an old glass cutter, rusted almost beyond recognition. The notches used for snapping glass give the figure a nice profile....
Grave guardian, 1997 Wood, Bone, Steel & Mixed 8" x 5" x 4.5" Private Collection A carved figure in cedar wearing a steel mask with horns guards an open crypt....
Born Under the Thirteenth Sign, 1999 Wood, Steel, Paint 56.5" x 46" x 2" 1999 Available A pregnant beast squats to give birth. Acrylic paint and oil stick on reclaimed steel. The steel panel on which this piece is painted was signage salvaged from Maxwell Street in Chicago, where...
Calavera, 1999 Wood, Steel, Paint 56.5" x 46" x 2" Available Acrylic paint and oil stick on reclaimed steel. The steel panel on which this piece is painted was signage salvaged from Maxwell Street in Chicago, where B. B. King played the first electric blues....
Reliquary, 1999 Wood, Wax, Bone & Mixed 19.5" x 36" x 3.5" Private Collection reliquary was a study for a series in which I intended to cast various objects into large slabs of wax to be suspended from chains as space dividers, or screens. The charred board that makes...
Two Eyed Jack of Bones, 1997 Wood, Steel, Bone & Mixed 17" x 10.5" x 1.75" Available The jawbones reference Samson, hunting and strength. Rulers, of course, measure. The spears are juxtaposed against the sharp steel painted with danger stripes. The figures in the collage appear in color and...
Crossed, 1999 Wood, Photograph, Paper & Mixed 21" x 18.25" x 3.5" Available Crossed draws from various Hoodoo folk magics. The pods at the top are locust beans, alluding to biblical plagues. The poster that forms the top element of the collage was used as found. the hanging phrase...
Papa Ghede Bell garçon, 2000 Wood, Steel, Paint & Mixed 18" x 32" x 2.25" Available The song that gives this piece it's name translates: Papa Ghede, he's a pretty good guy Papa Ghede, he's a pretty good guy He's dressed all in black Because he's going to the palace The song tells the...
Jubilee Crucifix, 1998 Wood, Steel & Mixed 27.25" x 26" x 4.5" Available The wooden panel is a section of a door, burned and touch with gold spray paint. The body of the crucifix is carved and blackened wood. Found scrap steel completes the torso. The wings are from...
Medicine Tree, 1999 Wood, Glass, Cloth, clay & Mixed 12.5" x 17" x 14" Private Collection Essentially an abstract, Medicine Tree pays visual and metaphoric homage to Kongo and Hoodoo traditions. The medicine jars are covered in cloth bags treated with red clay. The eye on the larger bottle...
All Guitars Go To Heaven, 1997 Wood, Steel & Mixed 64" x 34" x 6" Private Collection This piece began as as part of an assemblage/mixed media mural project, approximately 50' x 20' that I worked on with Juan Angel Chavez & Chris Silva. It was never finished and...
Snakes Came In & Out, 1997 Wood, Steel & Mixed 11.5" x 8.25" x 1.25" Private Collection This piece began as an accident— I was buying the postcard and the plastic snake and liked the way they juxtaposed in my hand. I built the rest of the work around...
Figure with Flames & Moon, 1996 Wood, Glass, Paper, Acrylic 6.25" x 8.25" x. 5" Private Collection The figure and moon are carved out of the painted glass in reverse. The flames and the scythe-like shape in the left corner are paper on the front of the glass. Mounted...
Torso Fetish, 1996 Wood, Steel, Bone, horse hair & Mixed 10.5" x 4.25" x 1.5" Private Collection...
Detroit Icon, 1998 Wood, Photos, Glass, steel mesh & Mixed 7.5" x 6.5" x 1" Private Collection Both the photo of Jesus and the one of a damaged brake drum were found in the garbage at a Kinkos in Ann Arbor, MI. Combined under glass and steel mesh, they...
Marriage Arch, 1997 Wood, Paper & Mixed 8" x 7" x 1.5" Private Collection...
Marriage Door, 1997 Wood, Paper & Mixed 8" x 7" x 1.5" Private Collection...
Death & Transfiguration, 1996 Wood, Steel, Glass & Mixed 29" x 16" x 1.5" Private Collection Acrylic and spray paint on steel, inset into an aged and burned wooden panel from a door. The frame of broken glass is a visual reference to the nails of nkisi sculptures. The...
Sextablos, 1999 Acrylic paint and Xerox transfer onto steel 8" x 10" x .01" Private Collection These four Xerox transfers were created for the exhibit Sextablos, curated by Michael Hernandez de Luna. "The exhibition featured the work of 60 contributing artists who were asked to adapt the Mexican retablo (small...
Mojo Set, 1998 Wood, Steel, Bone, Velvet & Mixed 3" x 9" x 5" Private Collection The six small figures in this set bear a slight resemblance to the work of the anonymous artist known as the Philadelphia Wireman. Each small talisman is made from small bits of found...
Small Hand, 1995 Wood, Steel, Bone & Mixed 7" x 4.5" x 1" Private Collection A charred antique box for microscope slides holds the bones of an animal paw nailed to an image cut from an old book. A cloud of rusty steel....
Desire, 1998 Wood, Glass, Wire & Mixed 7" x 4.5" x 1.25" Collection: The Lamprey Archives This was a piece made for The Ever So Secret Order of the Lamprey, based on the word "Desire." The box is an antique box for microscope slides, the wood is the scar left...
Study for Reliquary Wall, 1999 Wood, Wax, Bone 7" x 4.5" x 1.25" Available This was an initial study for a series in which I intended to cast various objects into large slabs of wax to be suspended from chains as space dividers, or screens....
Stigmata, 1998 Wood, Wax, Thorns 7" x 4.5" x. 5" Collection: The Lamprey Archives This was a piece made for The Ever So Secret Order of the Lamprey, based on the word "Stigmata." The Ever So Secret Order of the Lamprey was a group of Chicago artists and non-artists who met...
The Beautiful Story, 1998 Wood, Paper & Mixed 10" x 7" x 2" 1998 Private collection...
Book of Spells, 1997 Paper, Steel, Aluminum, Acrylic & Mixed 10" x 8" x 2" Private Collection...
Navigator's Log, 1995 Paper, Cardboard, Steel & Mixed 12" x 9.5" x 1" Private collection Artist's Book in mixed media collage. Bound with copper rivets over tape measure....
Six Poems, 1996 Paper, Photographs, Transparencies, Ink 9" x 9" x. 5" Private collection Artist's Book in mixed media collage. A hinged Japanese fold binding, alternating collage and poems....
Xenoglossophobia, 1995 Paper, Acrylic & Mixed 8" x 11.5" x .25" Private collection...
Mutz, Phil. “Man Nails 20,000 Budweiser Caps To A Piece Of Wood To Create An Incredible American Flag Mosaic.” LittleThings.com, 17 July 2015....
Biggest Indulgence: Our outdoor fire pit by John T. Unger. We are trying to not spend any money on our home yet, so this was kind of a splurge for us right now. We are trying to do what we can to make minimal updates...
Smith, Lynn Adams. "Editor’s Pick." Princeton Magazine May-June 2015. Print.
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Old Glory is an American flag created from over 20,000 Budweiser bottle caps and was commissioned by Golden Voice and Budweiser for the 2015 Stagecoach Music Festival. Measuring ten feet tall by sixteen feet wide, for a total of 160 square feet, Old Glory is...
Cover art. Erbani, Francesco. Pompei, Italia. Milan: Feltrinelli, 2015. Print....
Sonia Simone interviewed me for her podcast The Confessions of a Pink-Haired Marketer on rainmaker.FM. You can listen to the interview or read the transcripts at the following links: Business and Marketing for Artists and Creative Workers, Part One Business and Marketing for Artists and Creative Workers,...
Stuart, Ryan. "Where There's Fire." Cottage Life Summer 2015: 78-84. Print.
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Recio, Belinda. "Playing with Fire— Artist John T. Unger's Beautiful and Functional Firebowls." Organic Spa Magazine May-June 2015: 44-45. ...
Old Glory was a huge hit at the festival! Here's a little video of just some of the Instagram selfies taken with the flag. People lined up day and night to take their picture with Old Glory. One thing I really liked was how, as each...
My step-son Don drove the flag out to Indio, CA and helped me assemble it when we got there. I'd been very worried that the flag might be damaged by the vibration of a long road trip but it arrived fully intact. If you look...
The trailer is here and it's install day! My studio assistant Jamie and I carry out the first of the big sections. Laying all the panels out and hoping that they fit easily into the framework as planned. My plan was for the flag panels to mount...
It's not a big cameo, but you can see a few of RumFire's eight Great Bowl O' Fire Sculptural Firebowls in the background as Jorge Garcia walks past the pool. “Ua Heleleʻi Ka Hoku.” Hawaii Five-0, season 5, episode 21, CBS, 10 Apr. 2015....
The four main panels are finally finished! I'll add a few fill caps to the seams once it is installed at the festival, but for now, it's ready to travel. Now onward to make the bottom two stripes. To minimize the seams, the bottom stripes are...
The stars are finished on panel two! A close up shot of the caps. I love the way this thing looks when you get up close and look across it at a low angle. Note that even though the copper coated nail heads are tiny, they...
Beginning the fourth panel. The first step is lining up the rows so that they match the edge of the last panel. This is slightly difficult because they're both 4 feet wide by 8 feet tall so it's quite a reach to get the caps...
Week Three. The first panel is done and the stripes are finished on panel two. I moved on to the third panel partly to give my hand a rest from bending the stars and partly so I could get video footage of the second panel...
Marcie videotaped the first cap being nailed to the flag. Only 19,999 or so to go! The first couple rows of caps have been applied. Usually, I partially crimp all the caps so that they overlap and have no space at all between them. Because this...
This is how 28,000 bottle caps arrived. The three boxes weighed 131.62 pounds altogether. I had no idea quite what to expect but rather thought the boxes might be a lot larger. It was fortunate that Budweiser donated the caps because there's no way I...
So excited to see the Great Bowl O' Fire Sculptural Firebowls I made for RumFire at the Sheraton Waikiki on Hawaii Five-0!...
Kleon, Austin. Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered. New York, NY: Workman, 2014. Print. pp. 166–168....
Gale, Amiria. “150+ Art Careers – The Ultimate List.” Student Art Guide, Cambridge International Examinations , 19 Oct. 2018....
Weber, Cheryl. "Outdoor Products." Custom Home Winter 2013: 52. Print.
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The Great Bowl O' Fire Sculptural Firebowl™ was the star of Caribbean Courtyard, Season 2, episode 5 of Billy Derian's DIY Network show Extra Yardage. The episode first aired September 4, 2012. The description on the site is a bit brief, but since I have...
Whitman, Kari. "Green Spaces." Ocean Home June-July 2013: 89. Print. ...
"The Round Square Deck" Decked Out. HGTV. 6 May 2013. Television.
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This stunning project by Montreal designer Endrée Villeneuve of Vision enVert uses three King Isosceles Sculptural Firebowls™ to great effect. The firebowls flank a pool on stone pillars, with gorgeous waterfalls feeding into the pool to create a soothing soundscape. Built on the shores of...
Rispin, Phillipa. "Inspired by California." Montreal Home Autumn 2012: 2-17. Print.
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Brown, Sara. "Fire Starter." Timber Home Living Dec. 2012: 17. Print.
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Usually my firebowls appear on TV without me. I ship them to the set and only see the show much later. For the Surf's Up with the Greens episode of My Yard Goes Disney JayTV sent Rich Brauer out to the studio to film me...
Galaxy No. 3, 2005 recycled steel 139" H x 133" W x 14" NOTE: effective width/length is a radius of 133 inches My Kinetic Sculpture, Galaxy No. 3, is on view in Charlevoix, MI for the next two years as part of a public art program featuring 8 sculptures. The...
"Outdoor Living." Garden Center Magazine Aug. 2012: 48. Print....
"Cooperative Effort Brings Outdoor Sculptures to Charlevoix." Petoskey News 27 July 2012: n. pag. Print....
"Surf's Up with the Greens. HMYGD-207H" My Yard Goes Disney. HGTV. 8 July 2012. Television....
"John T. Unger Debuts FlatPack Architectural Fire Feature." Casual Living 3 July 2012: Print....
The Great Bowl O' Fire Sculptural Firebowl™ is prominently featured in the Artful Home's email newsletter this week. The Great Bowl O' Fire was included in the Artful Home Spring Catalog and will be in the upcoming summer catalog as well. Artful Home is a juried...
MacLeod, Hugh. Freedom Is Blogging in Your Underwear. New York: Portfolio, 2012. Print....
Guillebeau, Chris. The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future. Crown Pub, 2012. Print....
"South African Cave DMCV-905H." Man Caves. DIY. 23 March 2012. Television....
"Get Out! The Backyard Can Be Quite Luxurious." Broward Design, Boca Design, Gold Coast, Fort Lauderdale Magazine, Boca Life Feb. 2012: 26. Print and digital. Miami Design, Palm Beacher. Digital only....
Kleon, Austin. Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
"Perfect for the Patio." Garden Center Magazine Feb. 2012: 46. Print....
Crews, Nichole. "New Flames." Casual Living Feb. 2012: 14. Print....
"Beer Garden Cave" Man Caves. DIY. 10 Feb. 2012. Television....
Suqi, Rima. "Warding Off Winter." The New York Times 29 Dec. 2011: D1-D7. Print....
Barton, Ryan. Smart Marketing. Los Angeles: Rhizome, 2011. Print....
Fields, Jonathan. Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance
Art Sea Street Fair in Lincoln City Focuses on Recycled Art. Hipfish [Astoria, OR] 11 June 2011: 20. Print....
"Bottle Caps, Prints and Princesses." Oregon Coast TODAY 10 June 2011: 6. Print....
"Artist Uses Recycled Objects for Artwork." News-Times [Newport, OR] 10 June 2011: B2. Print....
!["Firing up the 'Art Sea'ne." The News Guard [Lincoln City, OR] 8 June 2011: Front Cover, B1. Print.](https://rachaelquevargas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/The-News-Guard2.jpg)
"Firing up the 'Art Sea'ne." The News Guard [Lincoln City, OR] 8 June 2011: Front Cover, B1. 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.
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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...
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....
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...
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....
Nelson, Christopher. "Scouting Report: Creative Spark" Charleston Magazine Jan. 2010. Print....
Hazel Dooney has built an international reputation as an intensely creative and productive artist in complete control of her destiny. She's a pioneer and an oft-studied example of how an individual artist can use online media (and hard work) to manage their careers more effectively...
Drahos, Marta H. "Artist in Copyright Tug-of-War." Traverse City Record Eagle 13 Nov. 2009, Arts & Entertainment sec.: 1C-2C. Print. ...
Auction Catalog: Fall Masterpiece Auction, Presenting the Lynne Ingram Collection. Buford, GA: Slotin Folk Art Auction, 2009. Print. ...
NASHVILLE, Tennessee - December 11, 2009 - John T. Unger/John T. Unger, LLC and Rick Wittrig/Firepitart.com LLC today announced a non-confidential settlement ending the legal dispute between them. This settlement fully resolves all of the parties’ claims against each other, including their litigation. The parties...
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. ...
Chris Guillebeau interviews me on how I built a life and career on the back of disasters. This was one of the more popular interviews I ever did and led to a speaking engagement at Chris' inaugural World Domination Summit. Click the link below to...
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....
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. ...
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...
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...
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....
M., Angela. “Want It Now: a Modern Fire Pit.” Shelterrific, 4 Apr. 2009....
Croft, Jo. "Light a fire in that bowl" The National [Abu Dhabi] 28 Feb. 2009.
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Nordgren, Mona R. "Grona Vagen - Uterum i framtiden." Rosie Outdoor Living October 2008: 11....
Sanderson, Vicky. "Bottlecap bounty." The Toronto Star 30 Sept. 2008....
Boyarsky, Andrea. "Keep the home fires burning." Staten Island Advance 3 Sept. 2008.
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Mosaic Fish For Limelight Lodge Swimming Pool, 2008 Sicis glass, glass eyes, glass tile Dimensions variable Commission...
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....
This is a recent bottle cap fish I did as a commissioned housewarming gift. It's my favorite that I've ever done. I love the way that the mixed caps work to create a richer color tone. To see a larger, print quality image just click...
I knew something was up when I had 6 convos from Etsy Users in 5 minutes! That doesn't happen every day. Since I had recently done an interview with Artish about men on Etsy, I kinda figured the sudden increase in conversations was due to the...
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....
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...
My Aloha Vibe: Rumfire, Sheraton Waikiki. Dir. Kimee Balmilero. Perf. Kimee Balmilero. 2008. My Aloha Vibe....
"How Do You Want to Share Your Passion? "Microsoft Home Magazine" 19 Mar. 2008.
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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....
Diebolt, Judy, ed. "Welcom Mat." Detroit News 29 Dec. 2007, sec. H: 3....
Cooper, Jeanne. "Holiday Happenings and News of the Islands." San Francisco Chronicle 6 Dec. 2007, sec. E: 2....
"Open Studio: Living Michiana ." Q Television Network. QTN, Burbank, CA.
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Surles, Joy. "Designed for Permanence: John T. Unger's Lasting Creations." Tattoos for Men Nov. 2007: 32-35.
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Twardowski, Lynda. "Up North Gifts." Traverse Magazine Nov. 2007: h17....
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....
Drew Klonsky is pretty dang cool. For one thing, his sign-off on emails is /drew ( I wish I'd thought of that!) For another thing, he takes great photos like the one above. Drew was among the early buyers of the Great Bowl O' Fire...
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....
Math: Grade 4, State of California. 1st ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. 260....
Johnny Evers Mosaic Portrait, 2006 vitreous glass mosaic, steel frame. 48" H x 60" W x 1.5" D Commission It's nearly impossible to reduce a six foot wide mosaic to a 600 pixel wide image and get it to look the way it should! The grout lines tend to...
Cammel, Ron. "Firepits are the Hottest Accessory." Grand Gardens Apr. 2007: 1, 6....
Free Spirit, Mosaic Bear 2005 Ceramic tile over fiberglass. 36″ X 60″ x 28″ Private Collection Free Spirit was created for the 2005 fundraiser Great Northern Hunt for Bearable Art organized by The American Red Cross of Northern Lower Michigan. An anonymous donor sponsored one of the bears and specifically...
Brook Trout Mosaic No. 2, 2006 Sicis 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,...
Rainbow Trout Glass Mosaic, 2006 Sicis Iridium glass tile, glass taxidermy eye, copper, Hardibacker substrate 9" 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...
Bluegill Mosaic No. 2, 2006 Sicis 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...
Lake Trout Mosaic, 2006 Sicis Iridium glass tile, glass taxidermy eye, copper, Hardibacker substrate. 11" H x 18.5" W x 1.5" D Private 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...
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...
Bluegill Mosaic, 2005 Sicis Iridium glass tile, glass taxidermy eye, copper. 11" H x 17.5" W x 1.5" D...
Rainbow Trout, 2002 glass tile, glass eye, copper, Wonderboard substrate on plywood. 27.5" H x 16.5" W x 1.5" D Commission 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...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish at Vale Craft Gallery Bottle Caps, plywood, printed tin, copper or bronze, rakes, dustpans, nail, etc. 126" H x 90" W Bottle caps have long had a place in the folk art tradition as a decorative element. Usually, they are deployed more as a texture,...
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...
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...
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.
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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....
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. ...
Community Harmony Through Song & Play, Panel 1: Music, 2001 Ceramic mosaic on wood substrate. 66" H x 48" W x 2" D Public 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...
Community Harmony Through Song & Play, Panel 2: Arts and History, 2001 Ceramic mosaic on wood substrate. 66" H x 48" W x 2" D Public Art Commission An African horn player blows his horn from the deep past, communicating with the sax man in the first panel. Behind...
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...
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....
This piece and the What Would Elvis Do? mirror were created for a show of all-Elvis art at Fleur Fine Art in Chicago....
This piece and the Elvis Is Love mirror were created for a show of all-Elvis art at Fleur Fine Art in Chicago....
When my dad was young he had a series of pet crows, all named Peter, and Peter was the hero of my bedtime stories....
Vévé for Erzuli Mosaic Table, 2003 vitreous 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...
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. ...
La Femme Astrale, 1999 ceramic tile, plywood substrate. 24" x 48" x 17" high Stolen, 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...
Cocktail Girls, 1999 ceramic tile, glass, plywood substrate. 24" x 48" x 17" high Private 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...
Ballad of the Dragon, 1999 ceramic tile, glass, plywood substrate. 24" x 48" x 17" high Commission 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...
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....
DisneyQuest Chicago: Mosaic Mural and Sculpture, 2005 Plastic rhinestone mosaic Commission...
Mud's Marker, 2001 Concrete, Ceramic tile 12.5" H x 12" W x 4" D Commission 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...
[rev_slider alias="LibationBottles"] All the bottles on this page were 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...
Three Billy Goats Gruff was the first drawing my daughter Mya did for our collaborative series of narrative sculptures....
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....
Aluminum + Copper Fish Sign, 2005 Recycled Aluminum, copper and plywood. 51" H x 96" W x 1" D This was originally going to be a sign for the studio… I got this far with it and decided that I liked it better as art. I made it...
A Mermaid and her Fish, 2006 Recycled steel, 54" H x 37" W x .25" D Collection: Jerry's Sandwiches, Chicago, IL Here's a bold, graphic sculpture made from recycled car steel… The corrugated steel in the background is not part of the piece, it's the wall of my office...
Galaxy No. 3, 2005 recycled steel 139 H x 133 W x 14 in at the base...
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...
The Galaxy Series are Modernist inspired, abstract wind vanes made from recycled steel. ...
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....
Swiss Army Horse, 2000 Recycled steel, grout dimensions variable Collection: Marilyn Houlberg...
The better part of two 1/4 mile spools of wire went into making this fountain....
Cycling Salamander Windvane, a kinetic sculpture windvane commissioned in 2004...
Grasschopper Wind Vane, 2004 Steel, cast iron, copper 60" H x 40" W x 20" D Private Collection ...
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....
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...
The Dancer Sculptures come in two styles: the steel and copper version shown here and a powder coat enamel version....
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...
Scrapyard Abstract No. 8 (Houses and Weather), 2006 recycled steel 14 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...
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. ...
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...
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...
Garden Meditation Gong. 2006. Recycled steel. 85" H x 35" W x 12" D Private Collection The freestanding garden gong above would make a nice centerpiece for any garden… it requires a concrete pad below grade to stabilize it (or you could do something like a cool stonework base...
Antique Radiator Firewood Cradle, 1999 Cast iron, recycled steel. 23.5" x 22" x 8.5" Custom Order item I love the visual pun of making a cradle for holding fire wood from sections of an old radiator. This piece was originally made as a Christmas present, but I'd be into...
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....
Window Grilles, 2005: steel, 20.75" H x 20" W x .25" D Private 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...
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....
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. ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
I was (and still am) one of those kids who always feels compelled to lean chairs back on two legs. I didn't get into making furniture just to avoid being yelled at, or breaking chairs, but I do believe that in addition to being beautiful...
The Mosaics: Music | History | Peace in the Park Contents: Credits | The Design Process | Creating the mosaics | The Youth Artists Credits Lead Artist: John Unger Assistant Artist: Caswell James Mentor: Nina Smoot-Cain With Youth Artists: Sheena Barlow, DeJuan Birge, Katheris Ellis, Ashley Harvey, Kenyetta Howard, Ernest Johnson,...
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. ...
Erastes + Eromenos Marble Mosaic, 2005 Marble 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...
Anima Sola/Marinette Altar, 2004 Steel, cast iron, vitreous glass mosaic, slate, antique mirror, copper, bronze 76" H x 31" W x 10" D Private 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...
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...
The Amazing Devil Girl— She Whirls!, 2000 ceramic mosaic, plywood, steel, copper, bronze 66.6" 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...
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, 2007 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled bronze sheet, copper nails 26" 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...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 53, 2011 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails 20" 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...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 52, 2011 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled car body, copper nails 20" 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...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 51, 2010 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled car body, copper nails 20" 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...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 50, 2011 plywood, primer, bottle caps, spatula, dust pan, antique rake, copper nails 20" 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...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 49, 2009 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails 20" 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....
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 48, 2008 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails 12" 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...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 47, 2008 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled car body, copper nails 20" 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....
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 26, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled vintage car steel, copper nails 12" 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...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 45, 2008 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails 20" 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...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 44, 2009 plywood, primer, bottle caps, vintage car steel, copper nails 12" x 40" x 1.5" This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from Coke, Becks and Harpoon bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from vintage car metal from the 60's or...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 43, 2008 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails 20" x 50" x 1.5" This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from a wide mix of bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from recycled roofing copper. The eye is...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 42, 2007 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled roofing copper, copper nails 26" 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. A combination of caps, Sierra Nevada, Stewarts Ginger Beer,...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 40, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled car steel, brass nails 20" H x 27" W x 1.5" D This fish is made from Reed soda and Harp beer bottle caps. The fins and tail are cut from vintage car metal from the 60's...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 39, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, vintage car steel, copper nails 20" x 55.5" x 1.5" This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from Two different styles of Bud Light bottle caps. The fins and tail are cut from vintage car metal from...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 38, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, vintage car steel, copper nails 20" x 55.5" x 1.5" This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from Labatts and Newcastle Brown Ale bottle caps. The fins and tail are cut from vintage car metal from the 60's...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 36, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails 20" x 50" x 1.5" This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from Amstel Light, Peroni and Bass Ale bottle caps. I love the way that the coloration of the caps mirror...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 35, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, vintage car steel, antique rake, brass nails 20" x 55.5" x 1.5" This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from Labatts and Molson bottle caps. I wish I had a better photo of the way the light...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 34, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, tin can, brass plated nails 20" x 50" x 1.5" This fish is made from Corona, Corona Light and S. Pelligrino bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from vintage car metal from the 60's or...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 32, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, bronze sheet, copper nails 20" x 50" x 1.5" This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from Heineken, Pacifico and one Topo Chico bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from bronze sheet recycled from a door...
Here's another narrative sculpture that Mya designed. Click the thumbnail images to see detail shots. I love the way she used the tree and the bed post to organize the frames of the story! Pretty sophisticated work for a sixteen-year old.This piece...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 30, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, vintage car steel, brass gear, copper nails 20" x 50" x 1.5" This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from Coke and Beck's bottle caps. I love the way that the coloration of the caps mirror each...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 28, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails 20" x 50" x 1.5" This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from Coke and Beck's bottle caps. I love the way that the coloration of the caps mirror each other— Coke...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 26, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails 12" x 40" x 1.5" This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from Heineken and Becks bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from recycled roofing copper. All the caps are partially...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 24, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled copper roofing, copper nails 20" x 50" x 1.5" This bottle cap mosaic fish is made from all different kinds of bottle caps— every brand that was mostly white or mostly black but uncommon enough that...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 22, 2006 bottle caps, recycled roofing copper, plywood, primer, 20" H x 27" W x 2.5" D This fish is made from Sam Adams, Reed, and Export Special bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from recycled roofing copper. The eye...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 21, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled roofing copper 20" H x 27" W x 2.5" D This fish is made from Bud Light and Izze bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from recycled roofing copper. The eye is a jar lid....
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 17, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled tin cans, brass nails 20" H x 27" W x 1.5" D This fish is made from Rolling Rock, Red Stripe and Pacifico bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from recycled tin cans. The...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 15, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle caps, printed signage, brass nails 18" x 48" x 1.5" This Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish is made with Budweiser and Budweiser Select caps. The fins and tale are cut from an old enamel beer sign. The eye is a...
Harris, Dana. "Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire." Variety 30 June 2006: v4....
Click the link below to read the entire interview. Salmon, Felix. “John T Unger and Art as Investment.” Felix Salmon, 1 June 2006....
Felix Salmon just posted an email interview about my thoughts on investing in art. It all started with a comment I left on Felix's post contesting Todd Gibson's assertion that art is a poor long term investment. Yeah, that's an awkward sentence, isn't it? So go...
Johnson, Ashley. "Hit List." The Wave Magazine May 2006....
Atlas: World Famous is my first large-scale sculpture made using the newly operational plasma cutter to create metal "collage."...
“Artist enlists Picasso in fight against war,” The Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, FL , January 14, 2006,...
“Picasso painting becomes anti-Iraq war symbol,” Naples Daily News, Naples, FL , January 13, 2006...
“Picasso painting becomes anti-Iraq war symbol,” The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ , January 12, 2006...
I finished the marble mosaic for Tommy Jenkins last week and brought it down to Chicago on this trip. Tommy does massage therapy and just opened up his own space recently. ...
“Gift Rapt: A green gift-giving guide for all the folks on your holiday list,” Grist Magazine...
Radio Interview, Spin 103.8, Dublin, Ireland, November 7, 2005....
I took these pics a few weeks ago as I was getting ready to make the four new bottle cap fish for Vale Craft Gallery. This is what it looks like when I'm sorting beer caps for my mosaics. Actually, this is a lot better than...
When I arrived in Chicago, my back was so out of whack that I could barely walk… too much work, too little sleep and way too much heavy lifting this month. Britt sent me off immediately to see Tommy Jenkins, a total freakin' genius massage...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 12, 2005 plywood, primer, bottle caps, bronze sheet, rake, brass nails 18" x 55.5" x 1.5" This fish is made from Red Stripe and Becks bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from an antique gasoline can. The eye is recycled roofing...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 10, 2005 plywood, primer, bottle caps, bronze sheet, rake, brass nails 18" x 55.5" x 1.5" This fish is made from Amstel Light and Bass Ale bottle caps. The fins are cut from bronze plate and the tail is a rake. All the caps...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 8, 2005 plywood, primer, bottle caps, tin can, stainless steel nails 12" x 35.5" x 1.5" This Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish is made with two different styles of Bud Light caps. The fins are cut from tin cans and the tail comes from...
Bouche: Scrapyard Abstract No. 4, 2005 Recycled steel. 25" x 15" x 11"...
Organ: Scrapyard Abstract No. 3, 2005. Recycled steel. 76" x 37" x 31"...
Scrappy Rooster: Scrapyard Abstract No. 2, 2005 Recycled steel. 33" x 21" x 12"...
The sculpture above looks a bit like a fish on the one side and a bird on the other… but what it really reminds me of are terra cotta ocarinas I've seen from Mexico and South America. I love the patina on it, although...
Little Colossus started out as a base for Galaxy No. 3 but soon made it clear that it wanted to be it's own sculpture. There are some photos on the studio blog from before it was painted that show some of the cool tricks...
“Great bowls o' fire,” Wednesday Journal, Oak Park, IL, September 7, 2005, Section one, 20....
It's all done and installed. Yay! Actually, there is the little matter of going back next month and dying the grout in the background to match the black tile more closely, but other than that it's done and installed. I think there's one last step...
The coolest thing about using Sicis tile on the trout mosaics is that the irridescent surface of the tile so closely resembles the actual scales of a live fish. Click on the image to the left to see both the normal and irridized colors of...
“Mood, warmth… and a little poetry,” Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL, August 14, 2005, Section four, 3....
About CANtern Hand-cut Luminaries What I enjoy about making the CANtern luminaries is the way they allow me to think in the exact opposite way I do when I make fences or sculpture… When...
The Fish design has been my best seller from day one. Everybody needs more fish! The light shadows this one casts are really cool, like a whole shimmering trout stream swimming in the dark, flicking their tails as the candle shimmers. See all the CANtern Luminary...
I spent the last couple days working on this project, which I've been dying to do for months. The firepit is cut from the end of a propane tank and the legs are from some kind of farm implement. After extensive testing (heh) I've decided...
The Electro Tiger Kitty design has always been my favorite of the Cantern designs. It's also the most difficult to get right. See all the CANtern Luminary designs. To learn more, read the CANtern FAQ page. 100% recycled content. Hand made and signed by the artist. Holes in...
The Scarab Beetle was sacred to the Ancient Egyptians as a symbol of the sun traveling across the sky. This Scarab Cantern will light up your yard or patio all evening unless his cousin the June Bug flies into the candle and puts it out....
The Radiant Heart CANtern shows rays illuminating outward from the heart in a symbol of universal and growing love. See all the CANtern Luminary designs. To learn more, read the CANtern FAQ page. 100% recycled content. Hand made and signed by the artist. Holes in the base allow...
The Sacred Heart CANtern is slightly different on each side: One side has an eye in the middle of the heart, the other side has a smaller heart nested within the first. See all the CANtern Luminary designs. To learn more, read the CANtern FAQ page. 100%...
The Eyes CANtern reminds me of the opening credits for Scooby Doo. It casts a particularly nice glowing image of the eyes when lit. See all the CANtern Luminary designs. To learn more, read the CANtern FAQ page. 100% recycled content. Hand made and signed by the...
The Spiral CANtern is a nice example of a simple, traditional design. See all the CANtern Luminary designs. To learn more, read the CANtern FAQ page. 100% recycled content. Hand made and signed by the artist. Holes in the base allow water to drain. Safe for use...
Mosaic Art + Style: Designs for Living Environments, JoAnn Locktov, Rockport Publishers, March, 2005. 117....
“Copyright or Wrong,” Chicago Reader, Chicago, IL, February 11, 2005, Section One, 3....
If you're going to work in the arts, there are three things you must have—Time, Space & Resources (Resources meaning materials and tools, or the money to get them). You absolutely need all three and you must have them simultaneously. In fact, this is probably...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 7, 2005 plywood, primer, bottle caps, tin can, dust pan, bronze nails 18" x 55.5" x 1.5" This fish is made from Heineken, Budweiser Select and unidentified bottle caps. The plywood is primed with two layers of Kilz primer. I love the copper...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 5, 2005 plywood, primer, bottle caps, tin can, antique rake, bronze shipwright's nails and brass plated nails 26" x 55.5" x 1.5" This fish is made from Heinekin, S. Pelligrino, and Newcastle bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from recycled tin cans....
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 4, 2005 plywood, primer, bottle caps, tin can, antique rake, bronze shipwright's nails and copper rose head nails 26" x 55.5" x 1.5" A combination of caps, Sierra Nevada, Stewarts Ginger Beer, Dos Equis and Becks went into this attempt to capture the...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 3, 2005 plywood, primer, bottle caps, tin can, brass plated nails 12" x 35.5" x 1.5" This fish is made from Corona and Corona Light bottle caps. The fins and tale are cut from recycled tin cans. The eye is a jar lid. All...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 2, 2005 plywood, primer, bottle caps, tin can, stainless steel nails 12" x 35.5" x 1.5" This Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish is made with Budweiser and Bud Light caps. The fins and tale are cut from tin cans. The eye is a jar...
The Rocket Stool was a commission designed to fit an existing vanity table. The seat, the circles in the backrest and the chair's feet are worked from hand-textured copper....
Malleable Metals Exhibit Catalog, Jordan River Arts Council, East Jordan, MI, 2004, 1, 17...
“Malleable Metals opens Saturday in East Jordan,” Petoskey News Review, Petoskey, MI, September 14, 2004, Section one, 7....
This glass mosaic portrait of Joe Tinker is a recent commission for the Lakeview Baseball Club. Below is the image I used to work from, an antique baseball card that I was able to find thanks to the fabulous online archives at the Library of Congress...
Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 1, 2004 plywood, primer, bottle caps, tin can, earring, gear, copper nails 12" x 35.5" x 1.5" My favorite Jim Harrison poem begins: I want to die in the saddle. An enemy of civilization I want to walk around in the woods, fish and drink. Every...
Patty LaNoue Stearns, “Have a Seat,” Northern Home Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 1, January-February, 2004, 9...
Frankie Machine Community Garden Sign, 2003 Recycled Steel. The sign for Frankie Machine Community Garden in Chicago used to get stolen on a fairly regular basis by Nelson Algren fans… So I was hired to create a sign that would be more difficult to abscond with....
"The Days of the Dolphins," 4 marble mosaics, Northeastern University Magazine, Vol. 28, No. 2, 2002, 14, 17, 21-22...
“Pilsen On Display,” New City, Artbreak, Chicago, IL, September 28, 2000, 25....
Cover Feature, Charleston Times-Courier, Spotlight Arts and Entertainment, Charleston, IL, February 12-18, 2000, 1....
“Artist John Unger to Talk About Graveyard Sculpture Installation,” Charleston Times-Courier, Charleston, IL, February 12, 2000, C9....
6 page pictorial spread, The Cream City Review, Vol. 24, No. 1, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 30-35, 134...
Unger, John T. "Sold My Soul for Rock 'N Roll", Sextablos: Works on Metals. Chicago: Luna Books, 1999. 9, 15. ...
Edstrom, Elaine. "Jammin'" White Pine Press 6 Nov. 1989: 1....
"On Exhibit: A Secret Society Shows Itself" by Michael Bulka...