Learning
to
Fly
99,
4’x16”x6”,
wood,
fiberglass,
foam
and
metal.
While
growing
up,
my
dad
spent
much
time
building
an
experimental
airplane
in
our
garage.
Although
the
plane
has
never
been
flown,
its
construction
and
my
fascination
with
flight
have
been
extremely
influential
to
me
as
an
artist.
For
this
piece,
I
used
leftover
scrap
Styrofoam
from
my
dad’s
airplane,
and
like
his
airplane,
covered
the
Styrofoam
and
ribs
with
fiberglass.
I
left
the
fiberglass
in
its
natural,
transparent
state
as
a
means
to
allow
viewing
of
the
beautiful
interior
design.
Originally,
the
wing
was
attached
to
its
base
with
a
single
spring,
which
helped
display
the
balance
and
symmetry
of
the
wing.
However,
the
spring
was
not
strong
enough
and
eventually
I
welded
a
rod
through
the
spring
to
keep
it
right.
This
was
an
experimental
piece
that
has
inspired
my
work
for
many
years.
Six
Acts
on
a
Flying
Trapeze,
6”x8”x8”,
aluminum,
wood,
and
plastic.
This
sculpture
was
inspired
by
a
dream
I
had
as
an
adult.
The
dream
was
like
the
vivid
dream
of
a
child,
whom
upon
waking,
believes
for
just
a
moment
that
the
dream
is
actually
possible.
In
my
dream,
I
had
jumped
out
of
an
airplane,
holding
on
to
only
a
contraption
that
appeared
to
be
a
cross
between
a
pogo
stick
and
an
upside
down
umbrella
with
rotating
propeller
blades.
As
I
jumped
from
the
plane,
the
flying
device
was
closed
like
an
umbrella
that
opened
as
I
held
on
to
handlebars
and
pushed
down
with
my
legs
to
extend
the
propeller
blades.
While
the
blades
rotated
and
created
resistance
to
the
thickness
of
air,
I
slowly
descended
back
to
earth.
This
sculpture
is
an
exact
replica
of
the
device,
and
maneuvers
in
the
exact
same
manner
as
the
one
in
my
dream.
Although
absurd,
I
cannot
help
but
believe
that
it
would
work.
619
Center,
16’x24’x24’,
wood,
PVC
tubing
and
cargo
parachute.
I
found
this
cargo
parachute
stuffed
in
a
bag
at
a
military
surplus
store.
There
was
no
way
for
me
to
see
how
large
the
parachute
actually
was
even
when
fully
unrolled,
so
I
created
a
frame‐like
structure
using
PVC
tubing
to
display
the
parachute
in
its
fully
opened
form.
Standing
on
edge,
the
parachute
was
over
twenty
feet
tall,
and
although
I
was
able
to
assemble
it
upside
down,
I
could
not
turn
the
parachute
over
because
of
its
incredible
size.
The
frame
structure
simply
would
not
support
the
force
of
being
turned
over.
Originally,
I
had
wanted
to
transform
the
chute
into
a
giant
umbrella
that
could
be
mechanically
opened
and
used
as
a
parachute
for
jumping
off
rooftops.
I
finally
came
to
my
senses
and
put
the
project
on
hold.
Lowe:
1973,
5”x6’x8”,
fiberglass
and
wood.
A
friend
created
a
canvas‐covered
kayak
using
paper
templates
that
were
traced
over
plywood
to
make
the
ribs
of
the
boat.
I
borrowed
the
templates
and
reduced
the
scale
on
a
copier
to
create
my
own
templates
for
a
‘toy’
boat.
The
original
plans
were
dated
the
year
of
my
birth,
so
I
used
a
color
scheme
popular
at
that
time.
Rather
than
cover
my
kayak
in
canvas
like
the
original,
I
used
fiberglass
to
make
it
more
durable.
It
was
eventually
christened
in
the
Reinbeck,
Iowa
public
swimming
pool.
My
Long
EZ,
5’x2’x1’,
stainless
steel,
fiberglass,
horn
and
car
battery.
My
Long
EZ
is
based
on
the
Long
EZ
aircraft,
and
a
banana
shaped
painted
soap
box
car
created
for
boy
scouts.
‐
both
of
which
were
built
by
my
dad
during
my
childhood.
The
vehicle
in
my
sculpture
is
elevated
and
protected
in
a
Plexiglas
box,
yet
sits
perched
on
long,
narrow
unsteady
legs.
Outside
the
stainless
steel
box
is
a
button,
which
is
connected
to
two
discordant
car
horns
hidden
inside
the
stainless
steel
box.
When
the
button
is
pressed,
it
sounds
the
car
horns.
The
huge
sound
created
by
the
horns
almost
always
shocks
and
surprises
the
viewer,
catching
them
off‐guard
(along
with
everyone
else
in
the
gallery).
Obelisk
Transmission,
7’x2’x1’,
carbon
steel,
stainless
steel,
transmission
fluid.
This
sculpture
was
created
during
my
sculpture
series
of
free‐standing
welded
steel
water
fountains.
I
had
grown
bored
with
using
water
as
the
typical
liquid
for
my
fountains,
so
I
installed
an
ink
pump
that
could
circulate
red
transmission
fluid.
With
this
piece,
I
also
began
experimenting
with
controlling
the
form
of
the
liquid.
Because
transmission
fluid
is
thicker
in
viscosity
than
water,
I
was
able
to
continue
the
hard‐edged
design
of
the
welded
steel
through
the
form
of
the
fluid.
This
control
is
accented
by
using
red
transmission
fluid.
Gargle
Box,
5’x2’x2’,
wood,
fiberglass,
water,
and
steel.
When
I
first
began
working
through
ideas
for
this
sculpture,
I
had
intended
to
incorporate
a
ready‐made
phonograph.
However,
I
was
never
able
to
find
exactly
what
I
needed,
so
I
eventually
fabricated
my
own
phonograph.
When
turned
on,
a
switch
outside
the
box
illuminates
an
emerald
green
stained
glass
on
top,
and
also
activates
an
aquarium
air
pump
inside
the
box
that
forces
air
through
a
container
filled
with
water.
The
horn
is
fully
functioning
and
amplifies
the
sound
of
bubbling
water.
Birdhouse
Skyscraper,
7’x2’x2’,
wood,
copper,
Plexiglas
and
lighting.
This
piece
was
originally
based
on
a
daydream
I
had
about
birds
making
homes
in
facades,
window
sills,
and
roofs
of
tall
buildings
because
trees
are
scarce
in
urban
areas
Because
I
was
experimenting
at
that
time
with
size
and
scale,
I
thought
it
would
be
interesting
to
create
a
scaled
model
of
a
skyscraper
for
birds,
complete
with
round
window
openings
and
individual
perches.
The
sculpture
was
made
with
wood
as
a
reference
to
birds’
natural
habitat
in
trees.
Since
its
original
creation,
this
sculpture
has
gone
through
several
major
transformations,
and
will
likely
continue
to
be
transformed
as
I
work
through
different
ideas
in
the
future.
Claustrophobia,
8’x6’x6’,
wood,
metal
fencing.
This
sculpture
was
created
my
first
year
of
undergraduate
school.
It
was
the
first
sculpture
that
allowed
full
interaction
by
a
viewer,
and
it
was
also
the
largest
and
most
ambitious
project
I
had
ever
created
at
that
time.
My
rural
and
agricultural
background
is
evident
through
the
use
of
rustic
materials
and
exploration
of
domesticated
animal
confinement.
I
wanted
the
viewer
to
experience
the
same
sense
of
claustrophobia
felt
by
animals
so
the
piece
allows
a
person
to
step
into
the
center
of
the
narrow
vertical
structure.
Once
inside,
horizontal
rings
form
around
the
viewer’s
body,
and
the
viewer
can
look
out
the
narrow
slats,
which
further
creates
a
sense
of
entrapment.
The
piece
is
site
specific
and
designed
to
be
situated
in
an
agricultural
setting.
Gravity
Box,
8’x5’x3’,
lathe
and
plywood.
This
sculpture
marked
a
transition
in
my
work
from
working
with
themes
of
stationary
rural
farm
buildings
to
themes
of
movement
with
rural
farm
machinery.
Like
the
other
sculptures
in
this
series,
this
piece
is
constructed
entirely
of
wood.
However,
I
incorporated
elements
of
combines
and
grain
augers
by
suggesting
functionality
and
movement.
After
this
piece,
I
began
working
in
steel
by
welding
and
creating
moving
components
in
the
artwork.
By
the
time
I
finished
this
piece,
I
had
felt
that
I
had
exhausted
these
themes
and
that
my
work
needed
to
become
more
experimental.
Lean
Chute,
8’x3’x4’,
pine.
My
early
sculptures
were
all
stand
alone
pieces,
and
this
sculpture
marked
the
transition
of
creating
isolated
objects
to
working
in
a
series.
The
idea
for
this
piece
came
from
observing
dilapidated
barns
and
corncribs
that
had
already
begun
to
twist
and
bend
towards
the
ground.
Although
I
was
interested
in
the
interesting
shapes
and
forms
these
structures
took
on
in
their
slow
state
of
destruction,
I
was
more
interested
in
the
remarkable
way
the
buildings
were
able
to
handle
the
structural
stress.
Not
only
is
this
piece
the
first
sculpture
of
my
first
series,
it
remains
my
favorite
due
to
its
simplicity.