We primarily design and create artworks for clients on a commissioned basis. Artworks
indicated as in the Collection of the Artist are available for sale,
please contact us for pricing. Works in Public or Private Collections are unavailable, however
we
would be happy to create an original work for you on a special order basis.
Solar Sculptures
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My solar sculptures are an exploration of mankind’s relationship with nature and
technology,
and seek to promote an awareness of the normal balance of forces found in nature. Using
solar technology, The Solar Flower Blossom sculptures are colorful and plant-like, in that
they are seductively colorful, changing their shape, deriving sustenance from the energy
in
the environment. However they remain as machines. As such they help to make people aware
of
the natural world and of the use of solar energy. Furthermore the solar technology that
powers all of these artworks represents a hope for the future. Inevitably as these
sculptures are exhibited even nontechnical people are curious about what makes them work.
This curiosity promotes the awareness that I believe is a key to beginning the restoration
of the normal balance of nature, as well as survival of the human race on earth.
IRIS (closed/open) solar cells, motor, painted aluminum, stainless steel; This
flower blossom sculpture opens and closes throughout the day on about a two
minute cycle, faster when sunny, slower when cloudy, and stopping in the
evening. 10 ft. high, 18 in. wide, 18 in. deep;
The brightly colored blossoms open and close on about a two minute cycle,
powered by the sun. The sculpture was created for an exhibit with Environmental
Arts, a Boston base artist group, at the Fuller Museum of Art, Brockton, MA;
solar cells, motor, metals, plastic; 15 ft. high, 15 ft. wide, 6 ft. deep
(varies with installation)
The brightly colored blossoms open and close on about a two minute cycle, powered by
the sun. The sculpture was created for my kitchen window; solar cells, motor,
metals, plastic; 15 ft. high, 2 ft. wide, 2 ft. deep
This sculpture is a simple kind of “day” clock. At noon the angle of the sun is
such that it shines on the sculpture and the boulder begins to rise and fall on
about a fifteen-minute cycle, stopping as the sun sets. The cycle begins again
the next day. The sculpture was created for an exhibit with Environmental Arts,
a Boston base artist group, at the Fuller Museum of Art, Brockton, MA
solar cells, motor, steel, natural boulder; 12 ft high, 4 ft wide, 4 ft deep.
This Sculpture was commissioned by Massachusetts Auduban Society to help focus
attention on it’s efforts to provide green solar energy to it’s facilities. The
sculpture was inspired by some cardinals that live in my yard. Viewers can interact
with the sculpture by casting shadows on the solar panels, which stops the motion of
the birds. I hope that the sculpture reminds park visitors that the same sun’s
energy that propels these wings, provides the energy for all living things on earth.
Solar cells, stainless steel, aluminum, motor, 16 ft. tall, 8 ft deep, 10 ft wide
As the sun shines, Sisyphus pushes the ball up to the top of the ramp, where
upon it rolls down the other side, and he must come around to the other side and
do it over again. Steel, aluminum, solar panels, titanium figures; 7in. high,
60in. wide, 30in deep.
Commissioned by North East Sustainable Energy Association, Greenfield Ma,
donated to Town of Greenfield MA. It is located at the site of an old train
station. The folk art train has twelve historic figures, selected by the
community, in the passenger cars. At one o’clock the first one sits up in front
of a window in the passenger car, at two a second, and so on until twelve fifty
nine when they all lay down and the cycle begins again. The sculpture is solar
powered. Steel, mixed media, solar powered clock mechanism. 14 ft. high, 1 ft.
deep, 14 ft. wide.
This was the first sculpture in my Solar Flower series. It is an indoor
sculpture designed to be placed in a sunny window. It slowly opens and closes,
and is constantly changing through out the day. The cycle is about 25 minutes,
so the changes are slow and not dramatic. 23 in tall, 12 in wide, 12 in deep,
solar cells, motor, metal, plastic.
WATER LILY (closed/open) solar cells, motor, painted aluminum, stainless steel;
This
floating flower blossom sculpture opens and closes throughout the day on about a
two
minute cycle, faster when sunny, slower when cloudy, and stopping in the
evening.
The wind is one of the earths most universal natural forces. It is both soothing and
powerful, and moves many of my sculptures. From milling grain to flying a kite, mankind
has found many wonderful uses for the wind. My wind powered sculptures are meant to
reflect the energy and excitement of the wind, and as such are lively
and colorful.
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Animametric Sculptures
miscellaneous_services
an'i•må, n. [L.] life principal; soul.
met'ric, a [L.metricus; Gr. metrikos, pertaining to measure, from metron, measure]
All art is an abstraction of life. That abstraction affects our feelings and thoughts
through the power of recognition. We recognize, consciously or subconsciously, people,
places, things that are part of our experience in life. The attraction of other humans,
memories, tactile experiences that we can not verbalize can be effectively communicated
through works of art. The most powerful art, that work which moves us the most, has the most
direct connection to those subliminal memories.
The mechanics of how we see shapes and colors have been studied and written about by many
artists and scientists. Colors and shapes interact to develop feelings in our subconscious.
The objects in the world that we view as continuous and solid are actually made up of small
particles with mostly space in between. Every one of us, and all of the things that we
perceive in the world, are not really solid at all, but billions of tiny specks in magnetic
suspension. Impressionism (while not philosophically, but in the manner in which
impressionists mechanically constructed paintings, with daubs of paint instead of layers of
washes), and later Pointillism, Cubism and Constructivist sculpture corrected our perception
of the visual world. All continuous surfaces and lines in reality are made up of infinite
segments of various sizes.
My work is a conscious effort to consider the forms and symbols that we encounter in life
that cause us to reflect on our tactile and visual learning experiences. I deliberately
exploit the interaction of shapes, movement and colors to create artworks that are at once
machines and organisms.
Harvard University employed our services to restore this important work by
Alexander Calder. Hand Crafted by Calder himself, this sculpture had been
exposed to the weather for many years, and was in poor condition. In addition to
completely disassembling the sculpture in order to protect the joint surfaces,
new stainless steel nuts and bolts that looked indistinguishable from the
original were manufactured in our studio. After completely cleaning the surfaces
with glass bead blasting, a three part coating system was applied. First a high
zinc content epoxy primer, followed by an epoxy sealer primer, and finally a
high endurance catalyzed urethane top coat was applied. During installation a
protective zinc cathode was employed to further increase protection against
corrosion.
Hot rolled steel, 5ft tall, 5 ft wide, Collection of Harvard University
Harvard University employed our services to restore this important work by
Elsworth Kelly. The sculpture is located in the exterior wall of the parking
garage at Harkness Common. Constructed of heavy aluminum plate, significant
galvanic corrosion was blistering the paint from below the surface, and pitting
the aluminum. The sculpture was attached to the wall with a heavy hollow steel
bracket, which was also corroding. The paint was removed with random orbital
sanders, and then the aluminum was first glass beaded to clean and consolidate
the surface, and then coated with two primers, and a catalyzed urethane topcoat.
The steel, which was causing much of the galvanic corrosion, was glass beaded,
and primed first with a zinc rich epoxy coating, then top coated. The tubular
steel bracket was also filled with a closed cell expanding foam to reduce the
steel surface area exposed to the atmosphere and reducing it’s galvanic
potential.
Heavy Aluminum plate, 20ft tall, 10ft deep, 25ft wide
Collection of Harvard University
Harvard University employed our services to restore this important work by
Louise Nevelson. Hand this sculpture had been exposed to the weather for many
years, and was in poor condition. In addition as the sculpture was fabricated
from industrial scrap and had many flaws in the original metal parts. After
completely cleaning the surfaces with glass bead blasting, a three part coating
system was applied. First a high zinc content epoxy primer, followed by an epoxy
sealer primer, and finally a high endurance catalyzed urethane top coat was
applied. During installation a protective zinc cathode was employed to further
increase protection against corrosion.
Located at Mt Ida College, this sculpture ”Message Across From The Ocean” by
sculptor Susumu Shingu had not been cared for in many years. The pivot bearings
which had been over greased were now caked in a mud like substance that had
hardened
onto the paint. Using pressurized hot water we cleaned the surfaces and returned
it
to its original white with corten panels
The only surviving public monument by Gerald Horrigan, 1920. The entire monument
was washed with low pressure water. The bronze tablets and figure were then be
heated carefully with a torch to drive all moisture out of the pores of the metal.
Three coats of the wax were applied, allowing time in between (overnight) coats
for drying. The stone blocks were repointed as necessary with polyurethane
architectural sealant.
This treatment is used by the US Park Service and has the desired effect of
protecting the monuments and inhibiting damage due to moisture and pollution, as
well as greatly improving the appearance of the monuments. After 20 years there
have only needed to be two subsequent waxings which only require a light soapy
wash/clear rinse and one light coat of wax to maintain the protective coat and
appearance.
Carved granite Monument by Edward Clark was washed with low pressure water and
detergent, stone joints were resealed with polyurethane architectural sealant as
needed, bronze fastener cover made to match missing one on bronze tablet. The
tablet was gently glass beaded to even out the wear due to weathering, and to
remove old hardened coats of bronze paint applied in years past that were causing
uneven wear on the surface It was then given a ferric nitrate patina to match a
tablet in adjacent town hall, and a heavy coat of Incralac.
This tablet is mounted on the back of a Carved granite Monument by Edward Clark.
The tablet was gently glass beaded to even out the wear due to weathering, and to
remove old hardened coats of bronze paint applied in years past that were causing
uneven wear on the surface It was then given a ferric nitrate patina to match a
tablet in adjacent town hall, and a heavy coat of Incralac.
By C. O. Crawford, 1924. I found this monument had been acid cleaned and high
pressure washed by untrained cemetery workers earlier in the year. The chemicals
dissolved all of the soft metallic structures on the surface, leaving a badly
alligatored and cratered surface. Cavities as large as 2mm were created by this
harsh cleaning. I washed it with copious amounts of water, and subsequent
reaction to the cleaners applied by the workers did not appear after being
allowed to stabilize for three months. The uneven luster of the remaining metal,
and its unprotected unsightly appearance was problematic to all. I cleaned the
surface with glass beads which have the effect of tightening the metal surface,
and applied a ferric nitrate patina, then a heavy coat of pigmented wax was
applied hot, allowing the wax to fill all of the deep pores in the metal
surface. While not the most durable outdoor coating it was chosen in this case
because it will keep water from entering the pores in the surface and causing
ice (water freezing in the pores could damage the surface, but wax will simply
get pushed out by the frost action leaving the metal undamaged) or corrosion
damage. This coating has required touch up every few years, which simply
requires a light coat of carnuba wax applied with a soft cloth.
This monument consists of a bronze tablet affixed to a Quincy granite base. The
bronze tablet has been vandalized over the years, probably because of its
location in front of a school. It may also have been stolen and replace at one
time, as the tablet does not fit the flattened space provided on the front of
the stone, and it is fastened with four heavy and homely bolts through the front
of the tablet. The aging coats of paint on the bronze had begun to cause uneven
corrosion to develop on the surface. The tablet was carefully cleaned with glass
beads, repatined with a dark ferric nitrate, patina. The names were brightened
with a light abrasive, and then many coats of Incralac were applied. The tablet
was then waxed with Black Diamond co. Butchers Wax to resist the efforts of
vandals.
Ok, so maybe this isn’t a mount, but Harvard Natural History Museum has a rare
specimen of a Coelacanth that was thought to be extinct millions of years ago then
someone caught one. The existing tank was poorly made and about to fail which
would have resulted in 75 gallons of formaldehide spilling out.
We made a new tank out of heavy tempered glass with a slate bottom and stainless
steel top rim. I also supplied fitted cradles to secure the fish in place.
Made with a low fire clay, and pieced together by Conservator Nina Vinogradskya,
this Myan vessel was too weak to support the lid. Shown here during fitting, the
white material is Velara and after trimming Nina painted it to blend in with the
clay.
Steel and aluminum “Hat” mount that was formed to match the rim of the lid and
keep it from crushing the bottom. 30 inches wide, 18 inches deep, 18 inches high.
Made with a low fire clay, and pieced together by Conservator Nina Vinogradskya,
this Tebesca Jaguar figure could not support it’s own weight safely
Epoxy and aluminum “Hat” mount that was formed to fit the inner shape of the
Jaguar as well as the bottom rim. The base plate is 1/2 inch aluminum and was
painted with a black epoxy.
New England Aquarium has a 100 year old right whale skeleton that had been cut
apart and put in storage. They asked me to reassemble it. I had to weld most of
the hand made attachments back together and replace a few that were missing. We
also made some custom shackles and a tail mount to support the 2000 lb skeleton
inside the aquarium.
Sometimes a mount is temporary, like this dolly that we used to move the World
Tree at Harvard University. The sculpture had to be moved to a temporary site
and left there for the duration of a construction project. Later we rolled it to
its final location, we poured a concrete footing and secured it. Extensive
repairs and finishing were done after placement
Restoration Projects
restore
On a selective basis our studios will undertake restoration of significant works of art
for
institutions, municipalities, and private collectors.
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Fresh Paint!
brush
From time to time we will add a few projects that we are either in the middle of or have
just finished.
The original 1926 bell at Memorial Church located in Harvard Yard, Cambridge,
suffered a catastrophic crack and had to be replaced. The church had a new bell cast
in England and placed in their steeple. They decided that they wanted to display the
original bell in front of the church, so they brought it to me to be cared for and
made presentable. After meeting with the architect (Payette Associates) as well as
people from Memorial Church and Harvard University, I developed a treatment plan
that they approved.
Upon receiving the bell we detached the cast iron yoke/counter weight from the bell
so that we could treat them separately. The 4500 pound, 60 inch diameter bronze bell
was cleaned with high pressure hot water followed by a brush blasting with glass
beads to prepare it for patination. A Ferric Nitrate patina (Hughes and Rowe
formula) was applied hot followed by a sprayed on coat of Incralac.
The cast iron yoke was stripped of old paint, and brush blasted with ground glass.
The yoke was primered with a high zinc content epoxy followed by an appearance coat
of a marine grade epoxy primer. Then a flat black catalyzed urethane top coat
finished it off.
The architect wanted the bell to be suspended a few inches above the pavement
surface, and to be locked so that it wouldn’t move. We fabricated a pair of steel
stanchions using plasma cut 2 inch plate and 1 inch plate that was cnc bored and
tapped on the top to accept the original pillow blocks. We removed the original
bearings from the pillow blocks and cnc machined some heavy duty shaft collars to
fit inside the pillow block shells and lock the bell once it was leveled.
Proposal for Poem Wheel, an interactive sculpture by Gregory Curci for Merrimack
College, North Andover, MA. in collaboration with poet Andrea Cohen.
Poem wheel get’s its inspiration from Tibetan prayer wheels. It is hoped that the
sculpture will inspire people to interact with it and that the words engraved on the
wheel will inspire them to pause and think about the context of their lives and the
world around them. The connection to the wind ties the sculpture to the Earth and
the processes of nature that provide the sustenance for all life on our planet. The
sculpture will also serve as a place marker for the Writer’s House. The sculpture is
constructed of stainless steel, and be 13 ft tall to the wind mill, and about 6 1/2
ft tall to the wheel.
A bust of Abbot Lowell located in the courtyard at Lowell House. The bust was
created by John Wilson, sculptor at Harvard University. I cleaned it and stripped
off the old Incralac. A Ferric Nitrate patina (Hughes and Rowe formula) was applied
followed by three coats of Incralac, brushed on.
I’ve always wanted to make a sundial, with all of the other solar sculptures that I
have created, it seemed to be on my bucket list. Harvard University was finishing a
restoration of Dunster House and they asked me to design and make a new Gnomen for a
dial that had been in the courtyard and disappeared without a trace. I converted
simple 2d artwork with the Dunster House Shield into a 3d design. I cut it out of a
piece of 3/4 inch thick silicon bronze.
located at The Cambridge Community Center. Remove all wooden attachments. Clean steel
with medium pressure hot water, coat with tung oil bases spar varnish. Secure all steel
pieces, replace fasteners with plain steel to match rust. Refabricate wood pieces with
air dried fir or cedar as available, painted as original, aluminum flash tops of wood
and paint to match original.
Sengenuity was a company that made a sensor that could measure properties of
lubricating oil and other liquids. They asked me to create a kinetic display
that would incorporate their product. We started by cnc machining a large set of
aluminum bevel gears onto which oil was pumped from the tank below. The film
here is a “dry run” without the oil that it normally would have.
Every once in a while I get asked to create images of characters real and
imagined, hover and click expand to see a few of them.
Left: Ed Rosen at Old South Meeting House, Boston MA. 1/2 inch aluminum
plate
, silk
screened artwork from drawing ⓒ 1990
Few Other Things
self_improvement
Over the years we have created many different things, some with a purpose, others just
for the pure joy of craft and expression. Here are a few examples. Others will get added
as we get around to putting them here. Enjoy.
People from historic Greenfield MA, part of the Greenfield Clock, carved in high
density foam and epoxy painted, they pop up once per hour. About 6 inches tall.
This is a portrait of Randy, the bad boy on Pee Wee’s Playhouse. Wayne White created
the character, I made this as a piece of art to be hung in a corporate office, it
had nothing to do with the Play House, the client just had childhood memories of the
character and wanted to keep him near, so I interpreted the character. Artist friend
Jeanée Redmond assisted.
Painted wood and foam, wire, other stuff to make him interesting. 3 ft tall.
Casey Stingle once said “I’ve forgotten more than most people know” and for the
life of me I can’t remember who I made these for, they were props in a TV add and
had to pop up. Carved foam, plastic box, spring loaded.
