In the beginning, I have always been a collector of things, but not just anything. Specifically, things that had an energy about them, which spoke to me in a whisper, calling for a future use. You know, cool stuff. Sometimes the item was just unusual and sometimes the item sparked a vision of something else.
As an adolescent, I had a vision of floating down the Arkansas River on a raft. The vision came to me during a summer job, working for my Uncle Dan, pumping gas at his station, while he was building utility trailers, to add to his rental fleet. My uncle had several thirty-three-gallon barrels stacked at the back of the station’s yard. I have no idea what came in those barrels, they just looked cool. I did not know a thing about displacement, but some how I knew those barrels would keep a wooden raft afloat.
I set out on a mission to build a raft and tie two or three of the barrels under the raft. I scavenged scrap wood from my neighborhood alleys along with anything else that had protentional use, for a raft. I even painted it with leftover paint that my dad had. After finishing the raft, it was so heavy, I could not move it from the garage, let alone to the river. (Even with the help of my two best friends, 1st mates, who also participated.) Lucky for us, the summer ended and with the start of school, the rafting idea faded like a petunia in the hot summer heat. I don’t recall the disposition of the wooden raft. My dad probably had me dismantle it.
The Playing 4 Keeps Dice Sculpture came about in a similar way, including being almost too heavy. (68 pounds of wood).
The piece was accepted by Arte de Descartes Taos art show, held annually at the Stables Gallery of the Taos Center for the Arts. It is a special art show allowing only art created from recycled stuff. Make that cool stuff.
Enough of this storytelling, if I have piqued your curiosity, you may view the PowerPoint slides. After all, pictures speak louder than words.
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