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I’m pleased to announce that a selection of my “Trigger Warning” series is on display in the widows of the Roll Up Project (corner of 3rd and Harrison in Oakland CA). This is only a fraction of the entire collection. Reach out if you’re interested in any of them, or have questions. It’s a pretty dark body of work, taking a satirical look at violence in our culture, and our bizarre approach to handling crisis and conflict. I hope to exhibit the whole series if I can find a venue eventually.

Im excited to announce my next pop-up exhibit “Reverse Engineered”. It’s been ages since I’ve had the opportunity to show work in the real world so I hope some of you can make it. This thing is coming together kind of last minute, so save the date and stay tuned next week for more details and a preview of the new work I’ll be showing. 

Reverse Engineered

465 9th Street, Oakland CA

Opening Reception: November 13, 5-8PM

Additional hours:

Friday, November 19, 12-4PM

Saturday, November 20, 12-4

Saturday, November 27, 12-6

Closing Reception Friday, December 3, 5-8PM

I’m also available for private appointments, contact me if you’d like to set one up.

Introducing a new series of small, tactile sculptures!  

A while back my 7 year old son brought home a plastic fidget spinner, to which I replied “We can do better!” I’ve always been pretty skeptical about these toys, seeing them as frivolous at best.  However, having produced these designs, I can no longer go without one in my pocket.  The real epiphany came when I realized that they can be used as remedies for cell phone addiction (or compulsion in general).  I’ve learned to question the impulse that sends me into my pocket for another toxic dose of screen time, and choose instead to bring out one of these haptic toys.  They are just as pointless as the junk we stare at on our phones, but way more healthy, and satisfying!  Works with Android or iOS, lifetime battery!

I’ve made a small batch of each design. If there is sufficient demand, I’ll produce more. Each piece is hand made in my studio, so quantities will be limited. 

Individual info with purchase links below:

“The Helm” $200 Purchase here

While this design admittedly does not depart much from the classic “spinner” design, the addition of the free floating spheres along the spokes adds a surprising amount of variety and tactile satisfaction.  The sounds produced by the spheres clacking is another pleasing feature.

“Cross Purpose” $125 Purchase here

This unique pocket sculpture incorporates strong magnets to “suspend” the large central sphere on its axial shaft.  The smaller spheres provide multiple grip and pivot points, producing a surprisingly wide range of actions.  While it may not impress much visually, I feel this one is the most successful as a tactile/haptic experience.  Sometimes simple is best.

“Gyro” $225 Purchase here

This hand sculpture was inspired by a gyroscope toy I had as a child.  The rings can be aligned to rotate cleanly around the central bearing, or be allowed to drift on their separate axles to produce a fun wobble effect.

Lockdown 2021

18” x 18” x 18” (sphere only, chain is variable)

As I write this it is the spring of 2021.  The Covid-19 virus has kept us all isolated or inhibited in some way or another for over a year.  Vaccines are now available, and we’re starting to see glimpses of a return to “normal” life, though for many of us this means further disruptions in our attempts to create the basic life patterns that we depend on for mental health.  With this piece I’m hoping to avoid the political bickering, and just provide an image that I hope we can all relate to: This thing has been a burden to us all, good riddance!

More photos here.

I first met Chris Siracuse, the host of the podcast “Greener Us” years ago when he was producing his film “Found” which was a short documentary he made about me and my work. His podcast explores broader issues around environmental conservation, something Im particularly interested in. Our conversation explored this topic in general, and how it figures into my studio practice of using found materials.

You can listen on apple podcasts here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reimagining-junk/id1559125401?i=1000515151793

Or spotify here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xQmPNln1T7qBUStZ7164t?si=XAQgyh6USl–D_QRdRTrbw

Near the end of 2020, when I had just finished moving into a new studio in Oakland CA, I had the privilege of being featured on the History Channel show: Assembly Required with Tim Allen, Richard Karn, and April Wilkerson.  It was a competition build show, so naturally I lost.  Still, it was nice to represent Makers to a broader audience, and it was a cool way to break in my new work space.  You can watch the episode here:

https://play.history.com/shows/assembly-required/season-1/episode-2