The above is "Proud Augusta" , carved 2008 - 2010, American Cherry. I got back to America after decades in Japan to be astonished at the scale of American womanhood. I wasn't trying to make any statement, just carving what I reckoned the ladies in the neighborhood might look like. I was living in Augusta, Ga., hence the name.
"Himiko and Her Pet Sphynx go to the Art Show" mixed media, lifesize (whatever that means for a sphynx), somewhere from 1997 - 2011. It's sort of like George Washington's axe, or bands like Iron Butterfly. This piece has been reconfigured and rebuilt several times. It is a big favorite of mine.
"Yukiko Seiza", lifesize, cast iron, 2005, and "Sea of Japan" oil on board, 2011.
I guess these two images together sort of sum up what I am going for.
"Pool", polyester resins on goatskin, 40" high, 2008
resin on goatskin.... yeah.... if it isn't experimental, and with considerable risk of failure, why even bother? I like selling work, but the galleries always want me to make one just like the last one they sold. Or make something "edgy" (whatever that means), or fits over the sofa... Lord knows I try to please them, but I just can't help trying to make it better than the last ones...
So I am always experimenting, and, man, you ought to see my scrap pile! This is an experiment. Just that. I like it.
Sort of the Ozymandius thing - there was an entire wood and bronze sphynx, alas too big to fit through any door in any house. When we moved to America in 2007, I just brought the head and bronze fittingss, figuring to rebuild it. But I'll just show the head and use the fittings on another piece later on.
"Oshiri Hibachi" bronze, lifesize, 2004-ish My wife Yukiko was the model. I have always loved the full voluptuous forms of some Korean and Greek pottery. This is a comment about that.
"Shimada san" 2004-ish She was supposed to be a full figure sitting in meditation. I cast her, as I do all my work, at home, by myself, homemade foundry, highly experimental system, and, well, the mold was still a bit wet deep inside, causing it to erupt like Vesuvius in my studio. The face came out alright; might as well salvage what you can.
