These sculptures are where I get my chance to "voice" my strongly held views about the American society's "ills", be they religious, political or cultural. This work often has a moralistic message and I am not afraid of preaching or offending others. It has been described as "protest art." I like it punchy, rough and not vague. Nothing gets in the way of my story telling of good and evil. Everything else supports it.
Visionary and naïve artists have always been an inspiration to me. Non-trained artists have the compulsive desire to communicate their private vision and passionate point of view and to make a world that only they can make. They often believe their vision is the only correct one. They produce without a critic looking over their shoulder or being driven by mass media. Their work is fresh, unexpected, unorthodox and generally understandable to the public. I see this in sharp contrast to the regurgitated ideas in the work of generation after generation of university-trained artists that speak only to the members of an esoteric learned group. Although trained, I feel more connected with visionary artists.
A colleague once stated that the function of art is to raise questions. I believe the function of art is to give answers.
First and foremost, I consider myself a straightforward narrative sculptor.
I work in steel, which is vandal and weather resistant and designed to be easily assembled on site. The steel is machined, hot-forged and welded. I am mindful of vandalism and public safety issues using columns to protect the artwork and as a method of announcement.
I have worked many times with public art agencies, public space designers, landscape architects, transportation systems and private industry. I seek and enjoy input from historical reference, local idiosyncrasies, materials, inventions, etc., anything that gives me clues as a designer to make the concept belong to the site. I work easily with groups, am very organized and realize major projects within budget and on time with the aid of my team.
I have created science partnerships with wind, structural and electrical engineers as well as lighting designers to realize kinetic sculptures and internally lit sculpture. I have worked with a gifted mechanical engineer to realize eight kinetic public art projects.
It is most important to me that there be a multi-level concept understandable to the non-art- trained person as well as the esoteric critic. It is my strong belief that public art should not be simply museum art in a public space.