Guitar Sculptures
My most recent series is of what I call Guitar Sculptures and I have placed them in a folder labeled as such. They are made from a variety of hand-constructed, store-bought parts and found objects. I combined the elements of functional musical instruments and sculpture with twists of irony and humor. I have had to become a luthier in order to up-keep the instrument’s playability. Many design constraints are involved with the creation of the sculptural elements that involve a lot of post tinkering of frets, pickups, bridges, machine heads, and more. I get the instrument to a level and then allow some of the technical quirks to be part of the piece. My history as a musician in the band “Jon Waine” during the 1980s where William Pope ‘L was the lead singer, Ellen LaForge bass, Franc Palaia drummer, and I as lead and rhythm guitarist is what inspired me to do this series which started more than 5 years ago.
All that Burns
This series of work is about all that burns. What starts with fire both symbolically and
physically. We burn trees to make way for grasslands to feed cattle for Burger King. We cut down trees to make second-rate furniture. Planets and solar systems begin and end in fire. Loves and lost loves to burn in our memories. I achieve the desired effect on wood surfaces using a woodcarvers pyro pen, a torch for wide strokes paint for accents.